Articles tagged with Casey Costello
New Zealand Retirement Village Reforms: Fairness, Clarity, and Resident Protection
1 week ago | 95 viewsThe New Zealand Government is introducing reforms to the Retirement Villages Act to enhance clarity, fairness, and transparency for residents and their families, addressing issues such as repayment delays and legal complexities. Key changes include clearer legal documents, upfront operator disclosures, an independent disputes scheme, and improved financial protections like timely fund repayments and cessation of fees upon vacancy. These balanced reforms, shaped by extensive public feedback, aim to strengthen residents' rights while supporting the sector’s growth and will be introduced to Parliament mid-next year.
Tags: Tama Potaka Casey Costello Retirement Villages Act New Zealand Government retirement villages aged care Retirement Commissioner National – New Zealand First Coalition housing reform residents rightsBetter Later Life Action Plan 2025: Supporting Older New Zealanders' Wellbeing
2 weeks ago | 103 viewsThe Better Later Life Action Plan aims to support older New Zealanders in living well, maintaining independence, and staying connected by focusing on health, housing, and financial security. It builds on existing government services by introducing new initiatives such as expanding housing options, reviewing driver licensing, enhancing digital training, and strengthening protections against elder abuse. The plan involves a coordinated, cross-government approach to improve access to services and practical support, with details available on the Office for Seniors website.
Tags: Better Later Life Action Plan Casey Costello New Zealand seniors NZ Superannuation SuperGold Card elder abuse driver licensing housing for elderly digital training Office for SeniorsGovernment's Comprehensive Aged Care Reform to Enhance Health Outcomes and Sustainability
1 month ago | 209 viewsThe Government, led by Associate Health Minister Casey Costello and Health Minister Simeon Brown, has announced an integrated approach to reform the aged care system, establishing a Ministerial Advisory Group to recommend changes to the outdated funding model. The focus is on improving health outcomes for the aging population, creating a sustainable and cohesive system that allows for smooth transitions between different types of care. The expert Group will provide recommendations on the funding model, cost-sharing, and integration between aged care and health services, with the goal of implementing changes by 2027 to ensure all New Zealanders have access to the care they need as they age.
Tags: Government aged care system Ministerial Advisory Group funding model Casey Costello Simeon Brown New Zealand sustainable services health services bipartisan approachNew Zealand Boosts Air Ambulance Fleet with Seven Emergency Helicopters Investment
1 month ago | 212 viewsThe Government of New Zealand is investing $12.6 million to replace ageing air ambulance helicopters with newer aircraft, with $7.3 million from Health New Zealand and $5.3 million from ACC. This investment aims to address the issue of New Zealand having the oldest helicopter fleet in the developed world by 2024. The new helicopters will enhance safety, reliability, weather response capabilities, maintenance efficiency, fuel efficiency, and operational performance, while also supporting standardization for improved maintenance and workforce efficiency.
Tags: Government emergency helicopters air ambulance fleet Casey Costello New Zealand Health New Zealand ACC aircraft safety maintenance.Government Decisions on Pharmacy Ownership and Medical Advertising in Upcoming Bill
2 months ago | 244 viewsCabinet papers reveal upcoming Medical Products Bill changes including the removal of pharmacy ownership restrictions to enhance access to healthcare. The bill will introduce a supervisory pharmacist role and allow advertising of unapproved medicines under certain conditions. Modernizing advertising regulations will provide better access to medical product information while ensuring consumer safety.
Tags: Casey Costello Government decisions Pharmacy ownership Medical Products Bill Advertising of medicines Supervisory pharmacist Patient safety Pharmacy standards Consumer safety Medical conferencesParliament Passes Bill for Fairer and More Effective Revenue Collection on Imported and Exported Goods
2 months ago | 308 viewsParliament has passed the Customs (Levies and Other Matters) Amendment Bill, aiming to enhance revenue collection on imported and exported goods. The bill introduces a levy regime to recover Customs' goods management costs, allows for the collection of product stewardship fees, and streamlines the process for seeking GST refunds on returned imported goods. Customs Minister Casey Costello emphasizes that the bill does not change existing charges or introduce new ones, highlighting the importance of spreading costs across importers through a levy regime.
Tags: Customs Minister Casey Costello Parliament revenue collection imported goods exported goods Customs legislation product stewardship fees waste minimisation legislation GST refunds levy regimeNew Zealand’s Emergency Services Boosted by Digital Technology for Rapid Location of At-Risk Individuals
3 months ago | 692 viewsNew Zealand's emergency services are implementing the Device Location Information (DLI) service to quickly locate individuals at risk without them having to call 111, enhancing response times in critical situations. The DLI technology allows emergency services to track mobile phones in emergencies, aiding search and rescue operations and assisting in health emergencies by locating individuals who may have fallen unconscious during a call. This new system streamlines the process by eliminating the need for manual requests to mobile network operators, ensuring quicker and more efficient emergency responses while maintaining privacy and transparency through rigorous authorization processes.
Tags: New Zealand emergency services digital technology Police Minister Mark Mitchell Associate Health Minister Casey Costello Device Location Information real time search and rescue operations health emergencies Telecommunications Information Privacy CodeGovernment's Initiative to Reduce Excise on Heated Tobacco Products for Smoking Cessation
4 months ago | 1084 viewsAssociate Health Minister Casey Costello highlighted that the Government's reduction in excise on Heated Tobacco Products (HTPs) aims to help more people quit smoking. The focus is on promoting public health by encouraging smokers to switch to less harmful alternatives like HTPs. The Ministry of Health is monitoring the impact of the excise change and has set up an expert advisory group to enhance regulations on all nicotine and tobacco products.
Tags: Government Heated Tobacco Products Smoking Casey Costello Ayesha Verrall Treasury Excise Duty Ministry of Health HTPs VapingGovernment Revokes Vaping Battery Rule Amid Court Challenge
4 months ago | 843 viewsThe Government is revoking 2023 regulations mandating removable batteries in vaping devices to address a court challenge by Mason Corporation Limited. Cabinet decided this action would resolve the case, allowing withdrawal of proceedings related to regulations introduced by the previous Labour government. The change will be implemented on September 1, eliminating the requirement for removable batteries in vaping devices, with no anticipated adverse effects on smoking or vaping rates due to prior legislation banning disposable vapes popular among youth.
Tags: Government regulations vaping devices removeable batteries court challenge Mason Corporation Limited Associate Health Minister Casey Costello Labour government gazetted disposable vapesVapes stores go dark, disposable vapes banned
6 months ago | 887 viewsVaping law changes that take effect today ban disposable vapes and will make a noticeable difference to shop fronts and the marketing of vaping products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello says. “This coalition Government committed to tackling youth vaping, and we’ve made practical changes to reduce the appeal of vaping to young people and to target retailers who sell vapes and tobacco products to our youth,” Ms Costello says. “Today’s changes implement the final parts of legislation passed in December.
Tags: Casey costello Costello New zealandfree environments and regulated products amendment bill ZealandHelp prevent elder abuse
6 months ago | 1022 viewsOn World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, Seniors Minister Casey Costello is urging older New Zealanders to safeguard their rights by establishing Enduring Powers of Attorney (EPAs). Speaking at Auckland's first-ever Treasuring Our Seniors Expo, Ms Costello highlighted the need for older people to take proactive steps to protect themselves. “Establishing legal protections is an important tool to strengthen the financial position of older New Zealanders and therefore preventing what we know as Elder Abuse.
Tags: Auckland Casey costello Costello Elder abu Elder abuse response service New zealand Of attorney Treasuring our seniors expo World elder abuse awareness dayPolice Commissioner’s directive on training standards welcomed
6 months ago | 980 viewsThe Police Commissioner’s clear directive that standards must be upheld for training and recruitment at the Police College is necessary and meets the Government’s expectations, says Police Minister Mark Mitchell. “The Police Commissioner has full operational independence and that is entirely appropriate. However, as with all government departments, the Commissioner takes the lead on delivering the priorities and expectations of the Government of the day and leading the direction of the organisation, including the standards that it sets.
Tags: Casey costello Government Mark mitchell New zealand Police college