Red Dot NZ – Simplified News
PM Luxon meets with President Xi Jinping
9 hours ago | 41 viewsPrime Minister Christopher Luxon has met with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. “My meeting with President Xi was a valuable opportunity to reflect on the depth and breadth of this important relationship, and to reaffirm our bilateral ties,” Mr Luxon says. “I outlined how our strong and innovative economic relationship has grown to cover a broad range of areas.
Tags: Beijing Chinese Christopher luxon Great hall of the people Indo - pacific Li qiang National people ’ s congress New zealand Pacific Pacific islands forum Ukraine Xi jinping Zhao leji$414,527 worth of lottery-funded cyclone recovery projects now complete in Waikato
1 day ago | 98 viewsMinister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says that communities in the Waikato are benefitting from over $414,000 in grants from funds raised through a special Lotto draw for Cyclone Gabrielle relief. “Cyclone Gabrielle had a significant impact on parts of the Waikato, causing destruction to property, blocked roads, and requiring coordinated relief efforts Now, one year after grant applications closed, 18 community organisations have received funding to rebuild thanks to the generosity of Kiwis who bought tickets to the special Lotto draw for Cyclone Gabrielle relief,” says Ms van Velden. Funds raised from the special Lotto draw were passed on to the Cyclone Gabrielle Appeal Trust, which accepted grant applications until May 2024 and distributed all funds by October 2024.
Tags: Auckland Bay of plenty Brooke van velden Cyclone gabrielle appeal trust East coast Gabrielle Hawke ’ s bay Malcolm beattie Northland Oparau hall society incorporated Port project Port waikato Sunset beach lifesaving trust Sunset beach surf lifesaving trust Tararua WaikatoMedallic recognition for NZDF personnel extended
1 day ago | 64 viewsThe 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.
Tags: 3k2 orion Aotearoa Collins Defence Defence force Democratic people ’ s republic of korea Judith collins Korean armistice agreement New zealand general service medal North korea Operation whio P - 8a poseidon United nations command United nations security councilLuxon wraps up successful Shanghai visit
1 day ago | 75 viewsPrime Minister Christopher Luxon has concluded the successful Shanghai leg of his official visit to China, accompanied by Ministers Louise Upston and Mark Mitchell and a delegation of senior New Zealand business leaders from across the food and beverage, health and wellbeing, education, and tourism sectors. “Our bilateral trade relationship with China is one of our most important, with two-way trade exceeding NZ$39 billion in the year ending March 2025. “This relationship accounts for more than 20 per cent of New Zealand’s total goods and services exports,” Mr Luxon says.
Tags: Auckland Beijing China eastern airlines Chinese Christopher luxon Fudan university Louise upston Mark mitchell New zealand Shanghai South america Zealand Zealanders electronic travel authorityOtago students to benefit from more classrooms
1 day ago | 110 viewsThe Government’s ensuring hundreds more students in Otago benefit from new, safe, warm and dry classrooms. A $27 million investment into new infrastructure will help make sure schools meet the needs of their communities and gets ahead of new growth. It will support the construction of: Six new teaching spaces at Dunstan High School A twelve-teaching space expansion at Te Kura Whakatipu o Kawarau The investment is in addition to the purchase of a site at Ladies Mile in Queenstown last year, which will accommodate a new primary school in the area.
Tags: Canterbury Central north island Dunstan high school Erica stanford James meager Ladies mile Otago central lakes Queenstown South island Stanford Te kura whakatipu o kawaraLargest maritime navigation system upgrade in decades
1 day ago | 61 viewsThe Government is making New Zealand more attractive to international shipping lines with the first major investment in navigation services in more than 30 years. Land Information Minister Chris Penk says the $28. 6 million Budget 2025 funding secures the future of shipping, tourism and the maritime economy – highlighting the Government's commitment to back economic growth.
Tags: Antarctica Chris pen Cook islands James meager Land information Land information new zealand Maritime new zealand Matarik New zealand Pacific South - west pacific Tokelau62 percent fewer scam texts reported after Internal Affairs crackdown
1 day ago | 59 viewsMinister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Department of Internal Affairs [the Department] has made significant progress in tackling scams in New Zealand, with a 62 per cent drop in reports of SMS scams in 2024 from 2023, following the Department’s investigations into scammers. The Department’s 2024 Digital Messaging Transparency Report, published this week, details some of the actions the Department has taken to catch people perpetrating scams, including by conducting search warrants and seizing equipment. “Scams cause serious financial and emotional harm, often preying on vulnerable people in our communities.
Tags: Auckland Brooke van velden Department Department of internal affairs Digital Government Messaging transparency report New zealand Scott simpson Van veld ZealandGetting more trainee teachers into rural schools
1 day ago | 41 viewsThe Government’s ensuring some of New Zealand’s most isolated schools get the pipeline of teachers they need to teach the basics brilliantly. “For most new teachers, school placements play a significant role in deciding where they choose to teach once they qualify as a teacher. We know rural and isolated schools struggle to fill these rolls.
Tags: Erica stanford New zealand Onsite training programme Placements fund Principal StanfordNew Russia sanctions target enablers of war, including Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’
1 day ago | 92 viewsForeign Minister Winston Peters has announced new sanctions on crucial enablers of Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine. This latest round of sanctions targets actors involved in Russia's military-industrial complex, supporters from North Korea, Iran, and Belarus, as well as vessels that are part of Russia's ‘shadow fleet’. “New Zealand must continue to hold Russia and its enablers accountable.
Tags: Belarus Ministry of foreign affairs and trade New zealand North korea Russia sanctions act Russian Ukraine Winston petersEconomic surprise great news for Kiwis
1 day ago | 68 viewsToday’s surprise economic result is great news for workers, families and businesses, Finance Minister Nicola Willis said today. “Stats NZ reported today that the economy grew 0. 8 per cent in the first three months of the year, twice the rate forecast by the Treasury and the Reserve Bank a short time ago.
Tags: New zealand Nicola willis Reserve bank Stats nz TreasuryStrong interest in new programme for overseas-trained doctors
1 day ago | 59 viewsA total of 180 overseas-trained doctors have expressed interest in a new Government-funded training programme aimed at boosting New Zealand’s primary care workforce, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. “New Zealand needs more doctors – particularly in primary and rural healthcare care settings – and this Government is taking action to make that happen,” Mr Brown says. “That’s why we’ve launched a new two-year training programme to support up to 100 additional overseas-trained doctors across the country.
Tags: Health new zealand New zealand Simeon brown WaikatoGovt set to surpass both law and order targets
1 day ago | 44 viewsNew quarterly data shows the Government is on track to deliver on both law and order targets ahead of schedule, Minister for Children Karen Chhour and Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith say. “We’re determined to protect communities, reduce victimisation, and to encourage young people not to continue down the path of serious crime and incarceration,” Mrs Chhour says. “A year ago we set a target of reducing the number of children and young people with serious and persistent offending behaviour by 15 per cent by 2029.
Tags: Auckland Canterbury Goldsmith Karen chhou New zealand crime and victims survey Paul goldsmith Youth serious offenderConsultation on ECE licensing criteria open
1 day ago | 74 viewsAssociate Education Minister David Seymour says that the Ministry of Education are now consulting on changing, merging, or removing approximately three-quarters of the Early Childhood Education (ECE) licensing criteria. “Earlier this year the ECE Sector Review instigated 15 changes to modernise and simplify regulations,” Mr Seymour says. “The changes to the ECE regulations show the power of a sector review.
Tags: David seymour Early childhood education Ministry for regulation Ministry of education Sector review Seymour ZealandNew day stay unit at Starship Children’s Hospital will increase capacity
1 day ago | 53 viewsHealth Minister Simeon Brown today officially opened the new Athlae Lyon Day Stay Unit at Starship Children’s Hospital, marking a major milestone in the ongoing redevelopment of New Zealand’s largest children’s hospital. “Starship plays a critical role in caring for our most vulnerable children, not just from Auckland but from right across New Zealand. It provides lifesaving care and specialist services that families depend on during some of the most challenging times they will face,” Mr Brown says.
Tags: “ starship Athlae lyon day stay unit Auckland New zealand Simeon brown Starship children ’ s hospitalTaking the handbrake off productivity through transport rule reform
1 day ago | 65 viewsThe Government is progressing a bold work programme to increase productivity and efficiency through comprehensively reforming New Zealand’s land transport rules, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. “Land transport rules set out how different sectors of the transport industry must operate. They impact all road users - from the suburban mum or dad who has to get a Warrant of Fitness every year no matter how new or well-maintained their car, to the truckies who’ve been loaded up with compliance costs due to rules long since made redundant through advances in technology,” says Mr Bishop.
Tags: Chris bishop Land transport rules reform programme New zealand Of fitness Road user rule