Articles tagged with Ite
Government Invests $2M in Central Otago’s Falls Dam Replacement Pre-Construction
1 day ago | 58 viewsThe Government is providing a $2 million loan through the Regional Infrastructure Fund to support pre-construction work on replacing the aging Falls Dam near St Bathans, vital for irrigating 8,000 hectares of Central Otago farmland. The funding will help Manuherikia River Limited assess regulatory, engineering, and financial aspects to ensure a secure and sustainable water supply for horticulture, viticulture, and farming. This project aims to enhance the region’s economic and climate resilience by delivering reliable irrigation and supporting higher-value land uses, with pre-construction expected to take about two years.
Tags: Mark Patterson Falls Dam Central Otago Manuherikia River Limited Regional Infrastructure Fund irrigation horticulture viticulture sheep farming water infrastructureFast-Track Approval Boosts Queenstown with 2,800 New Homes and Jobs
2 days ago | 50 viewsInfrastructure Minister Chris Bishop has approved a Fast-track application by RCL Homestead Bay Limited to build 2,800 homes and a commercial precinct in Queenstown, addressing the region's severe housing shortage and high prices. The project is expected to contribute $720.3 million to GDP and create approximately 4,420 construction jobs, while minimizing pressure on existing infrastructure through independent wastewater systems. This approval marks the 10th successful Fast-track project, demonstrating the system's effectiveness in accelerating essential infrastructure developments across New Zealand.
Tags: Chris Bishop RCL Homestead Bay Limited Queenstown New Zealand Homestead Bay Infrastructure Minister Queenstown Lakes Housing Development Economic BoostLong-Term Tourism Concessions Boost Jobs and Economy in South Island Destinations
1 week ago | 155 viewsConservation Minister Tama Potaka announced long-term tourism concessions in the South Island, including a 38-year concession for The Remarkables Ski Area and multi-decade agreements for the Milford Track and Te Ana-au Caves, aimed at supporting jobs and regional economies. These concessions provide operators with investment certainty while maintaining public access and enforcing environmental and safety standards. Tourism Minister Louise Upston emphasized that such stability helps businesses retain staff, deliver quality visitor experiences, and sustain local communities.
Tags: Tama Potaka Louise Upston The Remarkables Milford Track NZSki Tourism Milford Limited South Island Fiordland Te Rua o te Moko QueenstownGovernment Investment Boost Drives Early, Larger Investments and Economic Growth
1 week ago | 120 viewsThe Government’s Investment Boost is effectively encouraging firms to increase, accelerate, and scale up their investments, thereby enhancing productivity and economic growth. Survey data shows that a significant portion of companies have raised their investment spending and shifted toward productivity-enhancing assets due to the policy, with Inland Revenue modeling indicating a reduction in the effective marginal tax rate on new capital investment. These positive impacts align with projections of GDP, wage, and capital stock growth over the next 20 years, demonstrating the importance of stable, supportive tax policy for long-term economic development.
Tags: Nicola Willis Investment Boost Inland Revenue New Zealand Economic Growth United Machinists Foot Science International Vynco Government Policy ProductivityDefence Minister Judith Collins to Attend Munich Security Conference in Germany
1 week ago | 101 viewsDefence Minister Judith Collins is attending the Munich Security Conference in Germany to engage with global leaders on key security issues affecting New Zealand. She will hold bilateral meetings with defence partners and speak on the interconnected security challenges in the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic regions, including Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Collins emphasizes the importance of New Zealand advocating for its interests as a small trading nation in a turbulent world and will return on 16 February.
Tags: Judith Collins John Healey Mark Rutte Munich Security Conference New Zealand United Kingdom NATO RussiaNew Zealand and French Agencies Seize 4.24 Tonnes of Cocaine in Pacific Operation
2 weeks ago | 173 viewsNew Zealand agencies, including Customs, Defence Force, and GCSB, collaborated with French authorities and the US DEA to intercept 4.24 tonnes of cocaine in French Polynesia as part of Operation Kiwa. This operation is the first major success of the Transnational, Serious and Organised Crime (TSOC) Action Plan aimed at targeting maritime transnational crime networks in the Pacific. The campaign emphasizes international cooperation and enhanced intelligence and surveillance to protect New Zealand and its Pacific partners from organised crime.
Tags: Casey Costello New Zealand Customs Service New Zealand Defence Force Government Communications Security Bureau United States Drug Enforcement Agency French authorities Operation Kiwa Transnational Serious and Organised Crime French Polynesia New ZealandOne Year On: $200M Boost Drives 463 Affordable Māori Rental Homes Delivery
2 weeks ago | 172 viewsOne year after the Government’s $200 million investment, 463 affordable rental homes for whānau Māori have been approved across 11 Māori-led projects, with 392 homes contracted and over 260 progressing through early development stages. These homes are located in high-need regions and are intended to remain affordable rentals for at least 25 years, supporting long-term housing stability and community capacity. The initiative aligns with the Government’s broader efforts to fix the housing system by unlocking land, improving infrastructure, and reducing building barriers to increase housing supply and economic growth.
Tags: Tama Potaka Toitū Tairāwhiti Housing Limited Te Hau Ora o Ngāpuhi Ngāti Whakaue Tribal Lands Māori whānau Tamariki Government affordable housing Māori housing providersBudget 2025 Boosts Learning Support with $746M Investment for NZ Schools
2 weeks ago | 158 viewsThe Government is implementing its Budget 2025 plan by investing $746.7 million to enhance learning support in schools, benefiting hundreds of thousands of students nationwide. Key initiatives include hiring Learning Support Coordinators, expanding the Ongoing Resourcing Scheme, increasing Early Intervention Services, and funding additional Teacher Aide hours, alongside structured literacy and maths intervention programs. To ensure effectiveness, an induction program for Learning Support Coordinators is being launched to provide consistent training and maximize their impact on student achievement.
Tags: Erica Stanford Budget 2025 Learning Support Coordinators Early Intervention Services Teacher Aide Hours Ongoing Resourcing Scheme Ministry of Education Structured Literacy Maths Intervention Education MinisterNew Zealand and Germany Strengthen Partnership for Global Security and Prosperity
2 weeks ago | 181 viewsNew Zealand and Germany reaffirmed their strong partnership based on shared democratic values, commitment to international law, and multilateralism, emphasizing cooperation across strategic, economic, security, and cultural domains. They highlighted the importance of upholding the UN Charter, supporting regional stability in Europe and the Indo-Pacific, addressing climate change, and enhancing trade, innovation, and supply chain resilience. Both countries committed to deepening bilateral ties, promoting human rights, and maintaining close coordination on global challenges to ensure a stable, secure, and prosperous international environment.
Tags: New Zealand Germany United Nations NATO Pacific Islands Forum European Union Māori Moriori ASEAN UkraineNew National Reporting System Gives Parents Clearer Insight Into Student Progress
2 weeks ago | 203 viewsIn 2026, New Zealand will implement a nationally consistent assessment and reporting system in primary and intermediate schools to provide parents with clearer, comparable information on their children's progress in reading, writing, and maths. This new framework includes twice-yearly progress check-ins supported by the SMART monitoring tool and replaces a system over 20 years old, addressing long-standing concerns from educational experts about inconsistent reporting. Alongside these changes, the government is enhancing support services such as structured literacy and maths interventions to help students early and improve overall achievement.
Tags: Erica Stanford Education Review Office New Zealand Assessment Institute SMART tool Ministry of Education principals’ associations teachers structured literacy learning support coordinators teacher aideFour New Community Forensic Step-Down Beds to Open Early in Waikato
4 weeks ago | 192 viewsFour new community-based forensic step-down beds will open early in March through a partnership between Ember Services Limited and Health NZ, accelerating the government's Mental Health Plan commitment. Funded by Budget 2025, these beds aim to improve access to specialist forensic services, supported by community teams and specialist staff to ensure patient and public safety while facilitating gradual reintegration and reducing relapse risks. This initiative complements existing facilities and forms part of a broader strategy to enhance mental health support, frontline staffing, and crisis response.
Tags: forensic beds community based beds Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey Ember Services Limited Health NZ Waikato Budget 2025 mental health plan specialist forensic servicesNew Community Forensic Step-Down Beds to Open Early in Waikato
4 weeks ago | 244 viewsFour new community-based forensic step-down beds will open early in March through a partnership between Ember Services Limited and Health NZ, accelerating the government's Mental Health Plan commitment. Funded by Budget 2025, these beds aim to provide faster access to specialist forensic services, supported by community teams and specialist staff, to safely reintegrate patients transitioning from inpatient forensic care. This initiative enhances bed capacity alongside a new acute forensic inpatient facility in Waikato and forms part of a broader strategy to improve mental health support, frontline staffing, and crisis response.
Tags: Ember Services Limited Health NZ Matt Doocey Mental Health Minister Waikato Budget 2025 forensic beds community based beds Mental Health Plan frontline workersSouthland’s $13.6M Industrial Hub Boosts Gore Economy and Creates Jobs
1 month ago | 748 viewsThe Government is providing a $3.1 million loan to support a $13.6 million industrial subdivision near Gore, a joint venture between Ngāi Tahu’s Hokonui Rūnanga and Robertson Transport Limited, addressing the shortage of large industrial lots in the area. The 43-hectare project, located on State Highway 1, will create up to 50 construction jobs and attract various industries while generating sustainable income for Hokonui Rūnanga to fund community services. This development is the first phase of a 90-hectare master plan aimed at diversifying Southland’s economy and includes future plans for marae relocation, housing, and childcare facilities.
Tags: Mark Patterson Hokonui Rūnanga Ngāi Tahu Robertson Transport Limited Southland Gore District Regional Infrastructure Fund Associate Minister for Regional Development New Zealand Eastern SouthlandMilford Sound Tourism Gets Long-Term Concession to 2050 for Sustainable Management
1 month ago | 210 viewsConservation Minister Tama Potaka has approved a long-term concession for Milford Sound Tourism Limited to operate key visitor infrastructure at Milford Sound Piopiotahi until 2050, providing certainty for essential facilities in this important conservation area. The decision emphasizes balancing conservation, safe visitor access, and support for regional economies, while recognizing the cultural significance of the site through a partnership with Ngāi Tahu. Officials will now negotiate terms to ensure statutory obligations, capital investment, and broader tourism interests are addressed, supported by government funding for the Milford corridor.
Tags: Tama Potaka Milford Sound Piopiotahi Milford Sound Tourism Limited Ngāi Tahu Conservation Minister Aotearoa New Zealand International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy Tangata Whenua Department of Conservation New Zealand GovernmentKiribati and New Zealand Strengthen Partnership for Sustainable Pacific Future 2026-2030
1 month ago | 263 viewsOn 19 January 2026, Kiribati and New Zealand signed the Te Mauri Dialogue Statement of Partnership, outlining a five-year cooperative framework based on mutual respect, shared Pacific identity, and common goals such as sustainable development, climate change action, and regional security. The partnership focuses on four priority areas: strengthening democracy and values, improving health and wellbeing, enhancing peace and security, and promoting economic prosperity through collaboration and regional integration. Both countries commit to mutual accountability through regular high-level consultations, annual progress talks, and coordinated development assistance aligned with Kiribati’s national plans and regional strategies.
Tags: Winston Peters Teuea Toatu Kiribati New Zealand Te Mauri Dialogue Blue Pacific Continent United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Kiribati 20 Year Vision PACER Plus Biketawa Declaration