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The Chief of Defence Force, Air Marshal Tony Davies MNZM is resigning, Defence Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Air Marshal Tony Davies has informed me that he’ll be resigning from his position as Chief of Defence Force, effective immediately. “The reasons regarding his decision relate to integrity matters, that he did not previously disclose.
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop announced changes to Wellington’s district plan to remove heritage listings from the Karori Tunnel, Kelburn Viaduct, and Miramar oil tank, while modifying height limits in the Courtenay Place Heritage Area to enable increased development. These changes aim to support investment, housing, and job creation, potentially allowing 550 additional apartments, generating $200 million, and creating around 1,400 jobs through construction and commercial activities. The former General Headquarters Building’s heritage listing will remain, and the reforms follow extensive investigation, consultation, and consideration of economic and heritage impacts.
Minister for Racing Winston Peters urges New Zealand’s racing industry to collaborate for a strong, sustainable future in response to a report by the TAB New Zealand Racing Advisory Committee highlighting the need for unified reform. He emphasizes that successful reform requires collective commitment and shared understanding among key stakeholders, rather than isolated efforts, especially with a General Election approaching. Peters encourages industry participants to work constructively within existing legislation before pursuing large-scale government intervention or legislative changes.
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.
The South Island’s first Rural Training Hub will be established on the West Coast to train and retain doctors, nurses, and midwives for rural New Zealand, addressing workforce shortages and improving local healthcare access. This hub, the third of four nationwide, aims to support clinical placements, strengthen training pathways, and align workforce planning with community needs. A dedicated Programme Lead will collaborate with local partners to enhance education and training opportunities, ensuring rural communities receive timely, quality care.
The New Zealand Government is advancing a programme to integrate overseas-trained doctors already residing in the country into the primary care workforce, with nearly half of the planned placements underway. This initiative supports international doctors in gaining registration and experience in general practice, addressing the key barrier of appointment availability for Kiwis. Alongside expanded digital and after-hours services, the programme aims to strengthen healthcare access nationwide by building a sustainable future medical workforce.
Health New Zealand will directly employ all first-year GP trainees to simplify their transition from hospital training and maintain continuity of employment conditions, encouraging more doctors to choose general practice. The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners will continue overseeing the training program, while the government implements initiatives such as increasing medical training places, establishing a new medical school, and funding overseas-trained doctors to strengthen the GP workforce. These changes aim to improve access to primary care by building a stronger pipeline of GPs and making general practice training more attractive and accessible.
Public Service Minister Judith Collins announced an updated Code of Conduct to enhance integrity, accountability, and professionalism across New Zealand's Public Sector. The new Code, based on public service values and informed by the 2025 Public Service Census, introduces standards on merit-based appointments, workplace culture, and respectful behavior, supported by mandatory training and election guidance. The Code will take effect in March 2026, with resources available on the Public Service Commission website and the Leadership Development Centre.
A new coordinated rural hospital medicine and specialist GP training programme has launched on the West Coast to strengthen the home-grown rural health workforce by increasing registrar numbers from two to three to eight to ten. The programme, accredited to deliver Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine training, offers six to twelve-month placements with strong supervision, support, and aims to retain trainees long-term by fostering community connections. This initiative aligns with the National Rural Health Strategy’s goal of ensuring accessible healthcare for all New Zealanders, particularly those in rural areas.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced the 2026 General Election will be held on Saturday, 7 November, providing certainty to New Zealanders and emphasizing the government's ongoing commitment to economic management and improving public services. He highlighted achievements such as reduced inflation, increased business confidence, improved law and order, and better educational outcomes under the National-led Government. The election timeline includes Parliament rising on 24 September, dissolution on 1 October, nominations closing on 8 October, advance voting starting 26 October, and writ return by 3 December.
Health Minister Simeon Brown has commissioned the Ministry of Health to review the response to a ManageMyHealth cybersecurity breach involving patient information, aiming to assess causes, data protections, and recommend improvements. ManageMyHealth, a private patient portal used by some New Zealand general practices, holds sensitive medical data, prompting concerns about data security and the need for high protection standards. While the review will start by January 30, an Incident Management Team is actively coordinating the immediate response, with Health New Zealand confirming no impact on its systems and general practices continuing to operate.
The new Photon Counting Computed Tomography (PCCT) scanner at Kenepuru Hospital has significantly improved diagnostic imaging by providing faster, more detailed scans that detect previously undetectable abnormalities and reduce invasive procedures. Since its operation began in October, it has increased outpatient CT activity by 37%, clarified diagnoses for 20 patients, and enabled non-invasive cardiac scans for 18 patients, leading to earlier treatment and shorter hospital stays. Plans are underway to expand these advanced diagnostic services into the community, enhancing healthcare accessibility and reducing hospital pressure for Porirua and nearby areas.
Expressions of interest are now open for graduate doctors in New Zealand to gain hands-on experience in general practice and community-based settings, aiming to address the shortage of family doctors and increase GP numbers. The Primary Care Tactical Action Plan, funded by the Government, will allocate $23.3 million over four years to support up to 50 graduate doctors annually, with a focus on primary care placements to provide valuable community-based experience. This initiative aims to encourage early-career doctors to consider primary care as a long-term career, ultimately strengthening the health workforce and improving access to quality healthcare for all New Zealanders.
The Government has expanded the criteria for medallic recognition for Defence personnel who have served in operations supporting the UN’s sanctions against North Korea, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This medal – the New Zealand General Service Medal (NZGSM) 2002 (Korea) – has already been awarded to 180 personnel and the move to widen eligibility means a further 350 personnel will be recognised,” Ms Collins says. “Personnel who have served as part of Operation Whio – which monitors the United Nations Security Council’s sanctions against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea - since 2018 are now eligible for this medal.