National hates Public Broadcasting

Written By: - Date published: 6:15 am, March 8th, 2011 - 41 comments
Categories: broadcasting, same old national - Tags: , ,

TVNZ7, and New Zealand public service television as a whole, looks to be coming to an end in June next year.  TVNZ has been told their only responsibility is to return to the government a 9% return on investment per annum; their response is that they see pay-TV as their future.  Sky is now “a frenemy”.

National and the right have never truly loved public broadcasting.  Individuals have, but as a block they have always seen it as an impediment to the private sector, not truly valued it.

Right from its inception in Aotearoa, Public Broadcasting has been championed by the left, to the right’s chagrin.

The first Labour Government established what is now Radio New Zealand National.  Having been faced with Wellington’s newspaper, The Dominion, refusing to cover the Labour Party at all in the 3 months prior to their landslide election, they saw the desperate need for an independent, unbiased, news source.  One that didn’t depend on the political beliefs of the wealthy individuals who owned the media.  One with independent funding that could speak truth to power.

Television had to wait for the second Labour Government.  In 1949 the first Labour Government had started studies into the feasibility of TV, but it wasn’t until 1959 that Walter Nash announced a national service would be transmitted.

The third Labour Government introduced colour and TV2.

The last National government split radio off the broadcasting network, and abolished TV’s public service requirements and independent license fee funding.

This National government decided that the less than 2c/person/day the Radio NZ costs is too great a price to pay for a well-informed democracy.  As such it has barred Radio NZ from having an East Coast reporter*, and induced cuts that meant Radio NZ felt unable to send anyone to cover the All Whites’ success or our nation’s participation in the Commonwealth Games.

Two weeks ago Christchurch’s earthquake gave us a great reminder of the importance of public service broadcasting.  Radio NZ, on their parsimonious budget, did excellently.  TVNZ, with their charter scrapped, were massively outdone by privately-owned TV3.  TV3 has no obligations, but were good enough to cover the quake very well.

If TVNZ were to go to pay-TV, and TV3 weren’t willing to sacrifice for the greater good, how would that have left those without the budget to pay?  Dangerously uninformed, certainly.

As it is in an emergency, so it is for our democracy.  We need a well-informed public to be able to make the correct decisions at election times, to know who they can entrust to carry through which policies.  Most of the public are not politics geeks; they will not seek out the parties’ intentions beyond a broad scope.  They rely on the media, and ideally high-quality unbiased media, to sift through issues, present them with more detailed options and allow them to choose.

How do we get that high-quality unbiased media, not beholden to advertisers, or owners’ whims?  Well-funded public service broadcasting.

Whilst radio is more important when disaster strikes, for an informed democracy it is TV that is most essential – that’s where the vast majority of the public have their main news source.  And it needn’t be expensive: the ABC in Australia fund 4 ad-free channels + 5 radio networks + ABC Online for 10.6c/person/day.  With guaranteed minimum 55% Australian content.  We’d be happy with 1 ad-free channel with a high-quality news & factual department, and some NZ content – part-subsidised by other TVNZ channels.  It’s not expensive, and the rewards of a well-informed democracy are high – not to mention the cultural & national benefits of having more of New Zealand on Air, and the rise in quality of the private competition that will naturally follow.  But then this government has constantly trumpeted “catching up with Australia” whilst running in the opposite direction.

So if National get back in and in June you see the end of news unbeholden to advertisers, ad-free local kids TV (already largely gone with the closing of TVNZ6), Media7, Back Benches etc; followed by a slow move of all TV to Sky’s digital platform (now part-funded by NZ On Air!), don’t be surprised.  But let’s take action before that happens.

–

* Anne Tolley voters?  Remember that National thinks your opinions aren’t worth airing…

hat-tip on some facts: Rex

And there are of course many other non-political news etc arguments for quality public service broadcasting, as well as concerns over the whole future of freeview with TVNZ’s moves, but this blog is long enough…

41 comments on “National hates Public Broadcasting ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. ZeeBop 1
    8 March 2011 at 6:51 am

    So not only does my tax dollar go to a freeview service I don’t have, now stupid
    government will fund TV programs on SKY which I also don’t have. And SKy
    justify this how? On free market ideals that government should not intervene?
    So government intervenes takes my taxes and hands it to organisations that
    a large segment of the population just aren’t going to see yet profits flow
    to Murdoch!

    • Steve Withers 1.1
      8 March 2011 at 10:07 am

      ZeeBop: You best have a look at Freeview or in a year or two you won’t have any TV at all. In the meantime, don’t vote for National in order to ensure you DO have a free to air option to watch. They don’t care if you’re ignorant. In fact, they RELY on it.

    • Graeme Edgeler 1.2
      8 March 2011 at 11:32 am

      So not only does my tax dollar go to a freeview service I don’t have, now stupid
      government will fund TV programs on SKY which I also don’t have.

      You appear to misunderstand. TVNZ starting channels on Sky is about them making money, not costing the Government money. With these new Sky-only channels we’ll be able to afford more hip operations!

      • Pascal's bookie 1.2.1
        8 March 2011 at 11:36 am

        Is NZonAir funding being opened up to pay tv providers?

        • Tigger 1.2.1.1
          8 March 2011 at 12:00 pm

          My understanding is that they have their eyes on it – Prime (owned by SKY) has already accessed some of it.

          I have a concern about National’s closeness to SKY. Certainly SKY has kept Coleman close to them. Need to OIA to find out whether SKY paid for Coleman to attend the Winter Olympics last year for example…

      • Colonial Viper 1.2.2
        8 March 2011 at 12:03 pm

        With these new Sky-only channels we’ll be able to afford more hip operations!

        At the cost of a less informed, less involved, less healthy population.

        Yeah great trade off there.

      • Don 1.2.3
        9 March 2011 at 9:16 pm

        To hell with the hip operations – I want another tax cut.

  2. tc 2
    8 March 2011 at 7:11 am

    More of that corpratocracy at work….if I pay you then everything I do is wonderful and praise worthy and you don’t criticize me…..public broadcasting has no place in the NACT world.

    • Steve Withers 2.1
      8 March 2011 at 10:09 am

      It’s very clear they don’t understand democracy or accountability…or independence. The National Party gave us the new Auckland Council…..where First Past the Post saw to it that 62.5% of all votes cast for Auckland Council seats elected NO ONE. Where 15 of 20 Auckland councilors were elected with less then 40% of the vote (13 of 20 with less than 30% of the vote).

      This is the party that wants to use a referendum on MMP to deprive hundreds of thousands of us of our MMP party vote – the ONLY vote we all have that actually elects people if we aren’t one of the relative few who vote for an incumbent in a safe seat for Labour or National.

      This is a party seriously disconnected from best practice in social democracies. Sadly, many of their voters are even worse.

      • Draco T Bastard 2.1.1
        8 March 2011 at 1:43 pm

        It’s not that they’re disconnected from the best democratic practices but that they just don’t want democracy.

  3. ron 3
    8 March 2011 at 7:34 am

    Public broadcasting has no place in the Tory world. And it’s not just their adherence to the ideals of the market that predisposes Tories against public broadcasting. They don’t like it because public broadcasting – being the only outlet unimpeded by ownership pressures – is the only outlet that calls them on their bullshit.

  4. infused 4
    8 March 2011 at 8:42 am

    Face it. TVNZ is a peice of shit. I mean really, what more is there to say?

    • Bunji 4.1
      8 March 2011 at 9:54 am

      what more is there to say?
      That it doesn’t need to be…
      Fund it well and give it a mission (Educate, Inform, Entertain: quality, mainly NZ TV, with proper news+information for the public), and maybe it could be as good as most other state-owned broadcasters in the west.
      (then we might not get US reality TV shows in primetime every night of the week)

      • infused 4.1.1
        8 March 2011 at 12:47 pm

        Yeah maybe… something like the BBC? Can’t see that happening though.

        • Draco T Bastard 4.1.1.1
          8 March 2011 at 1:44 pm

          It can happen if our politicians realise the necessity of it happening. Of course, that automatically excludes NACT politicians as they don’t want it to happen as then we would have an informed populace that just won’t vote for them.

    • Steve Withers 4.2
      8 March 2011 at 10:14 am

      TVNZ7 is quite different.

  5. the sprout 5
    8 March 2011 at 9:06 am

    Russell Brown is always so very keen not to bite the hands that do, or might, feed him.
    I wonder how he’ll handle this one?

    • Bunji 5.1
      8 March 2011 at 9:51 am

      Like this.
      The hands aren’t going to feed him anymore, unfortunately.

      • Colonial Viper 5.1.1
        8 March 2011 at 11:19 am

        Time for the Left to fund it’s own MSM channel. I’ll chip in $500.

        It might even get me to watch TV.

    • pollywog 5.2
      8 March 2011 at 10:49 am

      Russell Brown is always so very keen not to bite the hands that do, or might, feed him.
      I wonder how he’ll handle this one?

      Tenderly, with soft hands and kid gloves, as though caressing his bollocks, were that he had a pair, our neutered hero reached out to the public for support, longingly, achingly seeking a sympathetic shoulder with which to lay his head upon and weep.

      The public at large, barring the troll farm of ready sycophants that hang of his massively endowed opinion, addressed him as such…

      “harden up softnews fella. Kill your television, then act like a hoover and suck it up.”

  6. Steve Withers 6
    8 March 2011 at 10:17 am

    If it’s a done deal….Russell will probably opt for a chew or three. The best way to save public broadcasting in New Zealand is to not vote for National. Who’d want to anyway? They cut taxes – swearing it was affordable – and within 12 months it was starkly obvious it was NOT affordable….They are imprudent and incompetent. Kiwis can’t afford another term of a government so out of touch with reality on everything from education to climate change to peak oil….to why we need a fiscal buffer to pay for emergencies like earthquakes.

  7. Draco T Bastard 7
    8 March 2011 at 11:27 am

    National and the right have never truly loved public broadcasting.

    Of course they don’t – good public broadcasting will keep people informed whereas broadcasting solely for profit will only keep them misinformed.

  8. Graeme Edgeler 8
    8 March 2011 at 11:34 am

    The first Labour Government established what is now Radio New Zealand National. Having been faced with Wellington’s newspaper, The Dominion, refusing to cover the Labour Party at all in the 3 months prior to their landslide election, they saw the desperate need for an independent, unbiased, news source.

    Radio New Zealand was not set up as an independent news source. Under the first Labour Government it’s news bulletins were approved in the Prime Minister’s Office.

    • uke 8.1
      8 March 2011 at 6:43 pm

      Have spent more than a few months recently trawling through microfilm of The Dominion & Evening Post during the early-1930s. Until the 1932 riots one would scarcely believe there was a Depression occurring in NZ. Just lots of bland economic reporting, society-pages articles, and some amazing scare-mongering about “socialism” (Tea Party-style).

      That said, The Dominion did allow Labour to run full-page advertisements around election times, so they weren’t completely shutting down the Labour voice.

      As for the NZBS, the Labour government did indeed completely nationalise radio and this had some negative effects, especially once Scrim had been kicked out and James Shelley took over completely running things. One of Labour’s main goals was to broadcast parliament live. They wanted “the people” to hear what Labour MPs were saying in the house rather than being misreported all the time by The Dom.

  9. Sanctuary 9
    8 March 2011 at 11:37 am

    It is not very nice and speaks poorly of commentators to wallow in schadenfreude at the demise of Media 7. After all, a whole lot of people just lost their jobs.

    [lprent: fixed a obvious typo. ]

  10. bbfloyd 10
    8 March 2011 at 11:55 am

    so we catch up with australia on yet another front? of course they only have the ABC. which, of those who have watched it knows, is a whholly state funded station that has no political affiliation, and produces news and current events in an unbiased, apolitical fashion. the thrust of the editorial policy tends toward social democratic, and goes to great lengths to provide a balanced, factual viewpoint regardless of the issues… i was impressed when i first watched, and never lost my appreciation for the efforts to inform.

    so,,,,, we have tvnz doing the same thing, don’t we? they provide politically unbiased information to their viewers in the best interests of furthering a basic tenet of democracy, i;e; an informed and knowledgeable electorate, don’t they? i mean, apart from mark sainsbury, john campbell, duncan garner, and the senior newsreaders of both main tv news outlets, it’s totolly unbiased, and not just a tool of the corperates that own, and control our government. that is the case, isn’t it?

    so why not let the same company responsible for the utter degradation of tv standards in nz have more profits… isn’t that what john key would laud as a great business model for all nzers to follow? the people who won’t be able to afford to watch tv after that will simply be the lazy dumbasses who made “bad choices”. they don’t deserve consideration.

  11. randal 11
    8 March 2011 at 1:04 pm

    of course national hates public broadcasting.
    for a start it is objective and secondly it has a commitment to public honesty and transparency which jibes with the current national partys desire to emasculate parliament and strip its assets under the guise of some cheapjack ideology they purchased wholesale from a right wing american think tank.

  12. JonL 12
    8 March 2011 at 3:38 pm

    “”This is a party seriously disconnected from best practice in social democracies. Sadly, many of their voters are even worse.”
    Seen Fox news lately? Perhaps the Nats want us to endure the travesty which is Fox, and it’s ilk….the BBC isn’t exactly bi partisan, either!
    As Thomas Jefferson is quoted as saying ” – Educate and inform the whole mass of the people… They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty.”
    The right (and I include Labour here) have taken that to heart, and have taken to “educating and informing” exactly what they want them to hear, by means of a complicit media. Any media which isn’t complicit, is being relentlessly whittled away and marginalised. Check out the USA for where we are headed.
    Thank god for the ABC in Aus – they aren’t totally untouched, but, they do try, and are like a breath of fresh air after NZ TV. (NZ National radio, at it’s best, is still of an enviable standard)

  13. ChrisH 13
    8 March 2011 at 9:40 pm

    Effective public broadcasting can’t be more expensive than the $120-odd I pay a month for My Sky HDI so I can skip the ads. No wonder Sky has an “embarrassment of riches”. It reflects the level of unmet need for watchable TV in the community (and that’s in spite of the fact that Sky has endless reruns etc). The nadir of NZ broadcasting, things can only get better even if we have to endure 7 being shut down. Again, how come Labour can’t see it? Votes for the taking.
    Which raises a wider point really and that is that if Labour were to throw caution to the wind (as I have said in my own recent guest post on another topic) and win the election on common sense-cum-populist policies such as ad-free free to air TV, it would defeat those who say that such things can’t be done. A palsied dead hand would be removed from the throat of the Labour Party and from NZ politics in general. Labour has nothing to fear but fear itself, after 25 years of Rogernomics and post-Rogernomic neoliberalism it’s like the proverbial caged bird or institutionalised prisoner who won’t leave the cage even when the door is open.

  14. Colonial Viper 14
    9 March 2011 at 8:50 am

    Government gives private TV3 tens of millions in help

    Great, just great. Joyce helping his mates while screwing public broadcasting.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10711051

    In fact now I think about it, screwing public broadcasting is no doubt part of the Government help package to MediaWorks.

  15. millsy 15
    9 March 2011 at 11:33 am

    RIP Public Service TV 1960 – 2011.

    Died after a long battle since 1988.

    Survived by its sickly cousin, Public Service Radio. (But for how long).

    When TVNZ 6 and 7 were first set up, it was supposed to be a new era for public service TV. TV1 and 2 would be commerical, while 6 and 7 (plus Maori TV) would hold the candle of Public Service (sort of what Radio NZ was in the late 80’s and early 90’s. Everyone would be happy.

    But National came along and decided that we should all endure Snookie, Gordon and the Desperate Housewives.

    The rest will be history.

  16. Russell Brown 16
    9 March 2011 at 2:31 pm

    Russell Brown is always so very keen not to bite the hands that do, or might, feed him.
    I wonder how he’ll handle this one?

    By writing about it on my blog, where there is a lively discussion in progress? You might perhaps have checked.

    Good to see that even the prospect of me losing a job I love is occasion for you to get your sneer on. Stay classy, now.

    • lprent 16.1
      9 March 2011 at 2:36 pm

      RB is referring to the thread starting at here initiated by the sprout.

      I think that the post at Hard News is this one.

    • Bright Red 16.2
      9 March 2011 at 3:27 pm

      yeah, well, you applauded a multi-national and a multi-millionaire director as they ripped off Kiwi workers and Kiwi taxpayers.

      And the last time I went to your blog you were moaning about some over-priced coffee not being as good as some other over-priced coffee.

      So don’t be surprised if many on the Left think you’re an elitist fuckwit.

      • neoleftie 16.2.1
        9 March 2011 at 9:37 pm

        what worse that the common enemy – an elite pseudo leftie who dreams ideals but cant realise them cause of the stench of the masses.

    • Steve Withers 16.3
      10 March 2011 at 4:24 pm

      Russell: You do a great job with Media7. The potential loss of your contribution to public broadcasting is one of the main reasons I’m outraged at what National doing.

Links to post

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • Government invests further in Central Hawke’s Bay resilience
    The Government has today confirmed $2.5 million to fund a replace and upgrade a stopbank to protect the Waipawa Drinking Water Treatment Plant. “As a result of Cyclone Gabrielle, the original stopbank protecting the Waipawa Drinking Water Treatment Plant was destroyed. The plant was operational within 6 weeks of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago

  • Govt boost for Hawke’s Bay cyclone waste clean-up
    Another $2.1 million to boost capacity to deal with waste left in Cyclone Gabrielle’s wake. Funds for Hastings District Council, Phoenix Contracting and Hog Fuel NZ to increase local waste-processing infrastructure. The Government is beefing up Hawke’s Bay’s Cyclone Gabrielle clean-up capacity with more support dealing with the massive amount ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago

  • Taupō Supercars revs up with Government support
    The future of Supercars events in New Zealand has been secured with new Government support. The Government is getting engines started through the Major Events Fund, a special fund to support high profile events in New Zealand that provide long-term economic, social and cultural benefits. “The Repco Supercars Championship is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago

  • There is no recession in NZ, economy grows nearly 1 percent in June quarter
    The economy has turned a corner with confirmation today New Zealand never was in recession and stronger than expected growth in the June quarter, Finance Minister Grant Robertson said. “The New Zealand economy is doing better than expected,” Grant Robertson said. “It’s continuing to grow, with the latest figures showing ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago

  • Highest legal protection for New Zealand’s largest freshwater springs
    The Government has accepted the Environment Court’s recommendation to give special legal protection to New Zealand’s largest freshwater springs, Te Waikoropupū Springs (also known as Pupū Springs), Environment Minister David Parker announced today.   “Te Waikoropupū Springs, near Takaka in Golden Bay, have the second clearest water in New Zealand after ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago

  • More support for victims of migrant exploitation
    Temporary package of funding for accommodation and essential living support for victims of migrant exploitation Exploited migrant workers able to apply for a further Migrant Exploitation Protection Visa (MEPV), giving people more time to find a job Free job search assistance to get people back into work Use of 90-day ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Strong export boost as NZ economy turns corner
    An export boost is supporting New Zealand’s economy to grow, adding to signs that the economy has turned a corner and is on a stronger footing as we rebuild from Cyclone Gabrielle and lock in the benefits of multiple new trade deals, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. “The economy is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Funding approved for flood resilience work in Te Karaka
    The Government has approved $15 million to raise about 200 homes at risk of future flooding. More than half of this is expected to be spent in the Tairāwhiti settlement of Te Karaka, lifting about 100 homes there. “Te Karaka was badly hit during Cyclone Gabrielle when the Waipāoa River ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Further business support for cyclone-affected regions
    The Government is helping businesses recover from Cyclone Gabrielle and attract more people back into their regions. “Cyclone Gabrielle has caused considerable damage across North Island regions with impacts continuing to be felt by businesses and communities,” Economic Development Minister Barbara Edmonds said. “Building on our earlier business support, this ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • New maintenance facility at Burnham Military Camp underway
    Defence Minister Andrew Little has turned the first sod to start construction of a new Maintenance Support Facility (MSF) at Burnham Military Camp today. “This new state-of-art facility replaces Second World War-era buildings and will enable our Defence Force to better maintain and repair equipment,” Andrew Little said. “This Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Foreign Minister to attend United Nations General Assembly
    Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta will represent New Zealand at the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York this week, before visiting Washington DC for further Pacific focussed meetings. Nanaia Mahuta will be in New York from Wednesday 20 September, and will participate in UNGA leaders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Midwives’ pay equity offer reached
    Around 1,700 Te Whatu Ora employed midwives and maternity care assistants will soon vote on a proposed pay equity settlement agreed by Te Whatu Ora, the Midwifery Employee Representation and Advisory Service (MERAS) and New Zealand Nurses Association (NZNO), Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. “Addressing historical pay ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • New Zealand provides support to Morocco
    Aotearoa New Zealand will provide humanitarian support to those affected by last week’s earthquake in Morocco, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced today. “We are making a contribution of $1 million to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to help meet humanitarian needs,” Nanaia Mahuta said. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Government invests in West Coast’s roading resilience
    The Government is investing over $22 million across 18 projects to improve the resilience of roads in the West Coast that have been affected by recent extreme weather, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins confirmed today.  A dedicated Transport Resilience Fund has been established for early preventative works to protect the state ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Government invests in Greymouth’s future
    The Government has today confirmed a $2 million grant towards the regeneration of Greymouth’s CBD with construction of a new two-level commercial and public facility. “It will include a visitor facility centred around a new library. Additionally, it will include retail outlets on the ground floor, and both outdoor and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Nanaia Mahuta to attend PIF Foreign Ministers’ Meeting
    Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta will attend the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, in Suva, Fiji alongside New Zealand’s regional counterparts. “Aotearoa New Zealand is deeply committed to working with our pacific whanau to strengthen our cooperation, and share ways to combat the challenges facing the Blue Pacific Continent,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • PREFU shows no recession, growing economy, more jobs and wages ahead of inflation
    Economy to grow 2.6 percent on average over forecast period Treasury not forecasting a recession Inflation to return to the 1-3 percent target band next year Wages set to grow 4.8 percent a year over forecast period Unemployment to peak below the long-term average Fiscal Rules met - Net debt ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • New cancer centre opens in Christchurch
    Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall proudly opened the Canterbury Cancer Centre in Christchurch today. The new facility is the first of its kind and was built with $6.5 million of funding from the Government’s Infrastructure Reference Group scheme for shovel-ready projects allocated in 2020. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Government invests in top of the south’s roading resilience
    $12 million to improve the resilience of roads in the Nelson, Marlborough and Tasman regions Hope Bypass earmarked in draft Government Policy Statement on land transport $127 million invested in the top of the south’s roads since flooding in 2021 and 2022 The Government is investing over $12 million to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • New Zealanders continue to support the revitalisation of te reo as we celebrate Te Wiki o te Reo Mā...
    Ko tēnei te wiki e whakanui ana i tō tātou reo rangatira. Ko te wā tuku reo Māori, e whakanuia tahitia ai te reo ahakoa kei hea ake tēnā me tēnā o tātou, ka tū ā te Rātū te 14 o Mahuru, ā te 12 o ngā hāora i te ahiahi. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • New Wildlife Act to better protect native species
    The 70-year-old Wildlife Act will be replaced with modern, fit-for-purpose legislation to better protect native species and improve biodiversity, Minister of Conservation Willow-Jean Prime has announced.   “New species legislation is urgently needed to address New Zealand’s biodiversity crisis,” Willow-Jean Prime said.   “More than 4,000 of our native species are currently ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Further safety initiatives for Auckland City Centre
    Central and Local Government are today announcing a range of new measures to tackle low-level crime and anti-social behaviour in the Auckland CBD to complement Police scaling up their presence in the area. “Police have an important role to play in preventing and responding to crime, but there is more ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Govt confirms additional support for Enabling Good Lives
    The Government has confirmed $73.7 million over the next four years and a further $40.5m in outyears to continue to transform the disability support system, Minister for Disability Issues Priyanca Radhakrishnan has announced. “The Enabling Good Lives (EGL) approach is a framework which guides positive change for disabled people, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • New Zealand gets AAA credit rating from S&P
    Standard and Poor’s is the latest independent credit rating agency to endorse the Government’s economic management in the face of a deteriorating global economy. S&P affirmed New Zealand’s long term local currency rating at AAA and foreign currency rating at AA+ with a stable outlook. It follows Fitch affirming New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Appointment of Environment Court Judge
    Christchurch barrister Kelvin Reid has been appointed as a Judge of the Environment Court and the District Court, Attorney-General David Parker announced today. Mr Reid has extensive experience in Resource Management Act issues, including water quality throughout the South Island. He was appointed to the Technical Advisory Group advising the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • NZ’s biggest ever emissions reduction project hits milestone
    New Zealand is on track to have greener steel as soon as 2026 with New Zealand Steel’s electric arc furnace project reaching a major milestone today.   The Government announced a conditional partnership with New Zealand Steel in May to deliver the country’s largest emissions reduction project to date. Half of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Poroporoaki: Paki Leslie Māngai Nikora
    Pokia ana te tihi Taiarahia e Hine-Pūkohu-rangi Hotu kau ana te manawa! Horahia ana te whārua o Ruātoki e te kapua pouri Tikaro rawahia ko te whatumanawa! Rere whakamuri kau ana te awa o Hinemataroa Ki te kawe i te rongo ki te mātāpuna i nga pōngaihu Maungapōhatu, tuohu ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • 50,000 charges laid in crack down on gangs
    Police Minister Ginny Andersen has today congratulated Police in their efforts to crack down on gangs, after laying 50,000 charges against gang members and their associates through the hugely successful Operation Cobalt. As at 31 August, Police have: Laid 50,396 criminal charges against gang members and their associates Issued 64,524 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Farmers and cyclone-affected properties supported with tax rule changes
    The Government has confirmed details of the tax changes to the bright-line test for cyclone-damaged properties, with the release of the required legislative amendments. Revenue Minister Barbara Edmonds has released a Supplementary Order Paper (SOP) to be considered by the Finance and Expenditure Committee in the next Parliament, as it ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • New Zealand wins CPTPP dispute against Canada
    Minister for Trade and Export Growth Damien O’Connor has welcomed the CPTPP Panel’s ruling in favour of New Zealand in our dispute against Canada, a significant win for our primary sector exporters. The Panel found that Canada’s dairy quota administration is inconsistent with its obligations under the Comprehensive and Progressive ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • New intensive turnaround programme launched to break the cycle of offending
     The next phase of the Government’s response to youth crime is underway, with an intensive programme for the country’s most prolific young offenders launched today in Auckland, Minister for Children Kelvin Davis said. The programme, announced by Prime Minister Chris Hipkins in July, will see up to 60 recidivist young ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Government extends report date for COVID inquiry
    The Government has agreed to a request from the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 for extra three months to deliver its final report. The Royal Commission was established in 2022 to strengthen New Zealand’s preparedness for any future pandemics. It was originally due to conclude mid-2024. “The Commission has ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Wainuiomata school property upgrade making great progress
    The Wainuiomata High School redevelopment is making great progress, with two more classroom blocks set to be complete by the end of the month, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins announced today. The Prime Minister visited today to see first-hand the progress of the redevelopment which is continuing at pace and is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Language week focuses on sustaining Lea Faka-Tonga
    New Zealand’s Tongan community are coming together to promote language sustainability this week, as Uike Lea Faka-Tonga – Tongan Language Week begins.  “For our Pacific communities, language is more than just a means of communication. It’s an important way to link generations and maintain connections to our ancestral roots,” Barbara ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 weeks ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2023-09-21T19:21:13+00:00