Displaying 1 - 24 of 2435 results.

Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith today announced funding of $800,000 for the Old Ghost Road cycle trail.

“The trail offers a journey back in time to the gold rush days of the 1860s and the long-forgotten settlements of Zalatown, Gibbstown, and remote farms that were abandoned after the 1929 magnitude 7.8 Murchison earthquake reshaped the land and limited access to the area,” Dr Smith says.

  • Nick Smith
  • Conservation

The settlement of legal action by the Ministry of Education against two New Zealand subsidiaries of James Hardie over weather-tightness of school buildings is good news for the future of New Zealand schools, says Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye.

“This settlement represents a win-win situation for both parties and I’m very pleased to see it reached,” Ms Kaye says.

The Ministry and James Hardie have agreed to a settlement that includes mutually beneficial terms to the supply of certain James Hardie products.

  • Nikki Kaye
  • Education

90 community groups are to receive $3.6 million in Government funding to support conservation projects throughout the country, Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith announced today.

“These 90 Biofunds grants are about DOC partnering with communities to protect the birds, plants, landscapes and habitats that make New Zealand special,” Dr Smith says.

  • Nick Smith
  • Conservation

Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith today called for nominations for the new Game Animal Council, which is designed to give hunters a voice in the management of their recreation.

“We are looking for between nine and 11 members with knowledge and expertise covering all aspects associated with managing game animals. This includes recreational and commercial hunting, farming, forestry, Māori hunting interests, and nature conservation,” Dr Smith says.

  • Nick Smith
  • Conservation

Associate Transport Minister Michael Woodhouse is urging road users to travel safely over the summer holidays.

“We are on track to record the lowest annual road toll in 60 years, but we’re not there yet. We still have the busiest holiday period of the year to come so I urge everyone to be extra vigilant on the road this Christmas season,” Mr Woodhouse says.

As at 20 December there have been 245 fatalities due to road crashes for the year, this is 52 fewer than at the same time last year.

  • Michael Woodhouse
  • Transport

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett is delighted over 62,700 people went off benefit and into work in the first nine months of 2013 alone.

“It’s not easy taking the plunge into work, but we’re seeing an average of over 7,000 people a month going off welfare into work,” Mrs Bennett said.

“People are stepping up and building better futures, and it’s important we recognise just how significant the move off welfare is for them and their families.”

  • Paula Bennett
  • Housing
  • Social Development

Environment Minister Amy Adams and Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith have today announced the members of an independent Board of Inquiry to consider a proposal for a new section of highway between Pūhoi and Warkworth.

The proposal was directed to a Board of Inquiry last month by Ms Adams and Dr Smith.

The application by the New Zealand Transport Agency relates to the construction, operation and maintenance of the Pūhoi to Warkworth section of the Ara Tūhono-Pūhoi to Wellsford Road of National Significance.

  • Amy Adams
  • Nick Smith
  • Conservation
  • Environment

Governments of Australia, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the United States call for responsible behaviour at sea during the 2013/14 Southern Ocean whaling season.

  • Murray McCully
  • Foreign Affairs

The Department of Conservation has commissioned an independent financial viability report into the Fiordland monorail proposal being promoted by Riverstone Holdings Limited at the request of Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith.

“This is the most significant concession ever sought on public conservation land and the longest monorail in the world. I want to ensure my decision is based on the best quality advice,” Dr Smith says.

  • Nick Smith
  • Conservation

Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith today announced that the new marine reserve at Akaroa Harbour will come into effect on World Oceans Day on 8 June next year.

“Akaroa is an iconic harbour and hugely popular for its recreation and scenery. This new reserve will ensure better conservation of its marine life and add value to Akaroa as a tourism destination,” Dr Smith says.

  • Nick Smith
  • Conservation

Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Christopher Finlayson has welcomed state owned enterprise Landcorp’s decision to provide Ngāti Makino and their neighbouring iwi, a further opportunity to purchase the Wharere Farms near Te Puke.

  • Christopher Finlayson
  • Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations

Senior Citizens Minister Jo Goodhew says it’s not OK to pressure older family members into giving or lending money to cope with holiday season costs.

“Abuse isn’t just physical, or emotional. We need to be aware of financial abuse, and we need to be aware that family members are often the abusers,” says Mrs Goodhew.

“While many older New Zealanders are happy to help their family members financially, they should never be pressured to hand over money or assets. It’s OK to say ‘no’.

  • Jo Goodhew
  • Senior Citizens

Prime Minister John Key has welcomed the news of a planned visit to New Zealand by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in April next year.

“I am delighted New Zealand will have the opportunity to welcome the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who today confirmed they will visit Australia and New Zealand in April next year,” says Mr Key.

“It’s also anticipated Prince George will accompany his parents but a decision hasn’t been made on that yet and will be made in due course.”

  • John Key
  • Prime Minister

Minister of Whanau Ora Tariana Turia said today that a decision on the commissioning agencies for Whanau Ora will be announced in the new year.

Earlier this year the Minister announced the new model for the future delivery of Whanau Ora which will see the establishment of three Non-Government Organisation (NGOs) commissioning agencies, one based in the North Island, one in the South Island and a Pacific focused agency.

  • Tariana Turia
  • Whānau Ora

Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce today announced appointments to eight tertiary education institution councils, which include four new council members.

“I am pleased to welcome these high-calibre council appointees into their new roles and to welcome the reappointment of a number of council members in recognition of the high-quality governance they have been providing to these institutions,” Mr Joyce says.

  • Steven Joyce
  • Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment

Restrictions on commercial paua harvesting in areas around Otago and Southland will remain in place, Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy has announced today.

“I’ve taken a precautionary approach and made the decision to retain the closures to commercial fishers. It’s clear these areas are greatly valued by recreational and customary fishers,” says Mr Guy.

The decision comes after Ministry for Primary Industries officials held extensive discussions with local iwi and recreational and commercial fishers.

  • Nathan Guy
  • Primary Industries

Auckland barrister David Kirkpatrick has been appointed an Environment Court Judge and District Court Judge to sit in Auckland, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today. 

Mr Kirkpatrick has been a barrister sole since July 2004. He specialises in administrative and public law generally, and resource management law in particular. He appears regularly before consent authorities, the Environment Court, and High Court. He has also appeared before the Court of Appeal, the Privy Council, and the Supreme Court.

  • Christopher Finlayson
  • Attorney-General

Education Minister Hekia Parata and Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye said today that the Ministry of Education’s Infrastructure Service team has been shortlisted for a global risk management award.

The London-based Institute of Risk Management, with members in over 100 countries, has shortlisted the Ministry of Education in the category of Delivering Value through Risk Management.

“I congratulate the Ministry on being short-listed for the Global Risk Awards 2014,” says Ms Parata.

  • Nikki Kaye
  • Hekia Parata
  • Education

Break-Away holiday programmes are offering thousands of children from high needs communities a fun and busy break over the school holidays.  

Break-Away programmes run during the Christmas and Easter holidays, and are delivered by community organisations with support from MSD.

“Since this Government introduced the Break-Away initiative in 2009, almost 95,000 school children from the Far North to Southland have taken part,” Mrs Bennett said.

  • Paula Bennett
  • Housing
  • Social Development

Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse has welcomed new figures showing New Zealand overstayer numbers are continuing to fall. 

“A new report estimates 13,151 overstayers are living in New Zealand. This is the lowest number this century, down 893 (6.3%) from last year, and 33 per cent lower than the 2005 estimate of nearly 20,000,” Mr Woodhouse says.

The estimated rate of overstaying (the number of overstayers compared with the number of temporary arrivals) is now very small by international standards at around 5 in 10,000 (0.05%).

  • Michael Woodhouse
  • Immigration

Kiwi Health Jobs, a national job website advertising vacancies in public hospitals, has reached another milestone with over 650,000 visits since its launch in 2011.

Kiwi Health Jobs currently advertises clinical and non-clinical jobs for all district health boards (DHBs) and the New Zealand Blood Service (NZBS).

“70 per cent of the 650,000 visits were from New Zealanders, with the remainder international visitors largely from the UK, Australia and the US,” says Mr Ryall.

  • Tony Ryall
  • Health

Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce and Labour Minister Simon Bridges today welcomed the completion of the major policy programme to respond to the recommendations of the Royal Commission on the Pike River Coal Mine Tragedy.

“With the completion of this critically important work, the Government has met the commitment we made in December 2012 to respond to all the Commission’s recommendations by the end of this year,” says Mr Joyce.

  • Simon Bridges
  • Steven Joyce
  • Labour
  • Economic Development

Education Minister Hekia Parata says Christchurch students just shy of achieving NCEA Level 2 will have the opportunity to gain the credits they need to get the qualification through a Ministry of Education-funded summer school.

The Ministry has contracted Hagley Community College to run a summer day school from 20 to 31 January 2014 and a summer evening school from 3 to 14 February 2014.

  • Hekia Parata
  • Education

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce today announced the investment of more than $2.4 million to help unlock the science and innovation potential of Māori knowledge, resources, and people.

Eighteen programmes will receive $2,425,772 in funding from the Te Pūnaha Hihiko Vision Mātauranga (VM) Capability Fund, administered by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, with decisions informed by an independent assessment panel of experts.

  • Steven Joyce
  • Science and Innovation