07 Jul 2026
3 months ago
910 views
Health Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the ratification of a new collective agreement for approximately 1,000 Medical Imaging Technologists (MITs) employed by Health New Zealand, which includes pay increases of 2.5% in 2026 and 2% in 2027. The agreement supports a transition to seven-day service provision, enhancing scanning capacity to enable quicker diagnosis and treatment for patients. This ratification follows similar approvals for various other healthcare professional groups, reflecting constructive engagement between APEX and Health New Zealand.
04 Jul 2026
3 months ago
727 views
New Zealand has passed landmark legislation to overhaul its mental health laws for the first time in over 30 years, modernizing compulsory care, strengthening rights, and ending seclusion for young people. The reforms introduce new protections to keep mothers and babies together during compulsory care, limit the use of seclusion for adults, enhance supported decision-making, increase family involvement, and restrict electroconvulsive therapy use. These changes, influenced by feedback from those with lived experience and recommendations from the Royal Commission, aim to improve safety, dignity, and recovery-focused care, and will take effect in two years.
04 Jul 2026
3 months ago
866 views
New Zealand has passed landmark legislation to overhaul its mental health laws for the first time in over 30 years, modernizing compulsory care and strengthening patients' rights. Key reforms include ending seclusion for young people, introducing protections to keep mothers and babies together, enhancing supported decision-making, and tightening safeguards around electroconvulsive therapy. These changes, influenced by recommendations from the Royal Commission and input from those with lived experience, aim to improve safety, dignity, and recovery-focused care, with implementation set for two years from now.
02 Jul 2026
3 months ago
762 views
New Zealand’s new Healthy Futures (Pae Ora) Amendment Act prioritizes patients by strengthening accountability, reducing bureaucracy, and ensuring timely access to quality healthcare with measurable outcomes. The legislation replaces vague principles with clear health targets to improve system performance, transparency, and delivery after years of poor results under the previous government. Early improvements include reduced emergency wait times, faster treatment, higher immunization rates, and increased investment in hospitals and primary care.
26 Jun 2026
4 months ago
1137 views
Health New Zealand has opened its first primary birthing unit, Whānau Ngā Uri, in central Auckland to provide 24/7 midwifery-led care for up to 400 women annually in a calm, home-like environment near Auckland City Hospital. The facility includes water birth suites, supports antenatal and postnatal care, and serves as a clinical training site to enhance maternity care capacity in a high-demand area. This initiative aligns with the Government’s Budget 2026 commitment, allocating $34.4 million to expand maternity services and ensure funded postnatal care for all women.
25 Jun 2026
4 months ago
863 views
The New East Wing of Taranaki Base Hospital has officially opened, marking a major milestone in the $462.6 million redevelopment to modernize healthcare services in the region. This new facility significantly expands capacity by 57%, integrating emergency, intensive care, maternity, diagnostics, and an Acute Assessment Unit to improve patient flow and treatment speed. The redevelopment also includes enhanced infrastructure like a rooftop helipad and an Integrated Operations Centre, ensuring better coordination and future-proofing healthcare delivery for Taranaki residents.
25 Jun 2026
4 months ago
877 views
The Redress System for Abuse in Care Bill, recently passed its third reading, aims to improve the state redress system by recognizing abuse experiences, providing alternatives to litigation, and extending coverage to survivors of abuse in mental health facilities from 1993 to 2022. The Bill introduces a presumption against financial redress for survivors convicted of serious violent or sexual offences sentenced to five years or more, while still allowing access to other forms of redress and establishing an independent redress officer to review exemptions. Implementation will begin in stages, with the serious offender process starting on 1 August 2026 and full coverage including mental health abuse after 2022 set for 14 July 2027.
25 Jun 2026
4 months ago
853 views
The speech highlights the National-led Government’s commitment to supporting New Zealand’s primary industries through regulatory reform, trade expansion, and investment in innovation and leadership development. It emphasizes the sector’s strong export growth, environmental initiatives like farmer-led catchment groups, and new policies such as Land Use Flexibility to boost productivity while maintaining sustainability. The Government aims to ensure a resilient, profitable, and globally competitive agricultural sector that underpins rural communities and national prosperity.
23 Jun 2026
4 months ago
824 views
New Zealand's Health Minister Simeon Brown announced a $12 million funding boost for hospices in 2026/27 to enhance palliative care services nationwide, addressing disparities in current government support that ranges widely among hospices. This investment follows a review highlighting significant variations in funding and service models, aiming to better align resources with community needs and ensure a baseline increase for all hospices. Additionally, the government is investing $15.5 million over four years to establish consistent specialist paediatric palliative care teams, reinforcing its commitment to improving access and quality of end-of-life care across the country.
19 Jun 2026
4 months ago
865 views
New Zealand’s government is providing a $120.6 million annual funding boost to local GP clinics, updating the funding formula for the first time in over 20 years to better reflect patient health needs, including factors like multimorbidity, rurality, and socioeconomic deprivation. This aims to improve timely access to primary care, especially benefiting rural communities and rewarding clinics that achieve better health outcomes in immunisations, cancer screening, and chronic conditions. The initiative seeks to keep GP visit costs stable while strengthening frontline services to keep clinics open and support community health.
18 Jun 2026
4 months ago
796 views
New Zealand's manufacturing sector led economic growth in the March 2026 quarter, expanding 1.9 percent and significantly contributing to the country's 0.8 percent GDP growth. This growth was driven by innovative firms like Dawn Aerospace, Rocket Lab, and Fisher and Paykel Healthcare, reflecting strong productivity and forward orders. The government supports this sector through initiatives like the Investment Boost, aiming to enhance productivity and sustain manufacturing's role in New Zealand's economic recovery.
18 Jun 2026
4 months ago
859 views
New Zealand's manufacturing sector led economic growth in the March 2026 quarter, expanding 1.9 percent and driving a 0.8 percent overall GDP increase, with strong performance in transport equipment and machinery manufacturing. Key firms like Dawn Aerospace, Rocket Lab, and Fisher and Paykel Healthcare are spearheading innovation and productivity, supported by government initiatives such as the Investment Boost to encourage capital investment. Manufacturing, contributing around 8 percent of GDP and employing over 220,000 people, is central to New Zealand's economic recovery and future growth strategy.
15 Jun 2026
4 months ago
807 views
Dargaville residents now have improved access to healthcare with a new acute care service operating daily from 8:00am to 8:30pm, reducing the need to travel to Whangārei for urgent treatment. Additionally, a new oncology infusion service provides local cancer treatments, supporting around 70 patients annually and minimizing travel burdens. These initiatives align with the Government's goal to ensure timely, quality healthcare within a one-hour drive for 98% of New Zealanders, particularly benefiting rural and regional communities.
11 Jun 2026
4 months ago
868 views
The Government is supporting farmers by expanding rural catchment groups and providing $40.5 million in funding over four years to improve land management and water quality across New Zealand. There are currently 51 groups, with 17 regional collectives being funded to enhance coordination and coverage, while efforts to reduce regulatory burdens and modernize resource management continue. Agriculture Ministers Todd McClay and Mike Butterick emphasize the success of these groups in delivering environmental benefits and sustaining high-quality, sustainable food production.
10 Jun 2026
4 months ago
855 views
The Government is investing $750,000 in three pilot projects led by catchment groups in Rangitīkei, Wairarapa, and North Canterbury to measure and reduce wild deer impacts on privately-owned production land. These projects, running until August 2027, aim to assess deer populations, evaluate control techniques, and inform future management plans while involving farmers, hunters, and regional councils. Hunting and Fishing Minister James Meager emphasized that toxins like brodifacoum will not be used, and hunter-led conservation will play a key role in the programme.