Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey today visited the Auckland Police Station to launch the region's third mental health co-response team, which will help ensure people experiencing mental distress get the right support at the right time. “It’s utterly unacceptable that when a concerned mum, dad, friend, or colleague calls 111 looking for a mental health response, they receive a criminal justice response. This Government is changing that because New Zealanders deserve better,” Mr Doocey says. "The Auckland City team are undergoing training and will start responding to calls in early August. T…

A bid to undertake exploration over an area east of Kupe gas field in Taranaki has become the first new petroleum exploration permit to be granted since the Coalition Government reversed the ban on offshore exploration, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. Six months after the closure ofa competitive market processfor the application, New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals (NZP&M) has today awarded Australian explorer EnZed Energy a 12-year petroleum exploration permit covering about 546sq km in the offshore Taranaki Basin. “This permit marks a major milestone for New Zealand’s energy sector and…

The Government is investing in initiatives to help ensure New Zealand tourism experiences are visible and accessible to international visitors through artificial intelligence (AI) tools, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston says. “A growing number of people are using AI search to explore destination options and plan their holidays. We want to make sure New Zealand shows up strongly when they do,” Louise Upston says. The Government is investing $800,000 from the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) into an upgrade of Tourism New Zealand’s systems so local touris…

Honourable Ministers, Members of Parliament and representatives from across the Pacific, and distinguished guests. Warm Pacific greetings to you all. It is a pleasure to welcome women parliamentarians and other Pacific representatives to Wellington for this chance to share experiences, learn from one another, and strengthen the relationships between us that underpin our Pacific cooperation. We are proud to support Pacific parliamentary cooperation through New Zealand’s overseas development programme and we wish to acknowledge the New Zealand Speaker’s strong support for this initiative. De…

The State Highway 1 (SH1) Belfast to Pegasus Motorway and Woodend Bypass, Road of National Significance, has been granted Fast-track approval. This is the 27th project and the second roading project to be approved through the Fast-track process. New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) lodged its application in December 2025, with approval taking around four months since the appointment of an independent expert panel. “This expansion between Belfast and Pegasus spans around 11 km, commencing from south of the Kaiapoi River Bridge and ending just north of the Pegasus/Ravenwood intersection,” says…

The Government has met its 2023 election commitment to deliver 3,000 additional social homes in Auckland during the current term of government, reaching the milestone months ahead of schedule and providing thousands more Aucklanders with access to warm, dry and secure homes, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. "Before the election we publicly committed to increasing Auckland's social housing stock by at least the then net build rate of 1,000 homes a year over three years. I'm pleased to say, we have delivered 3000 social homes since we took office, delivering on that commitment ahead of sched…

The Government has today released its response to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. "New Zealanders placed enormous trust in their government and made real sacrifices to protect one another. They deserve a clear account of what happened, and this response is about learning from it," Mr Brown says. "The independent Commission is clear that restrictions stayed in place for longer than needed against public health advice, that Auckland was kept apart from the rest of the country for longer than it needed to be, and that the cost to jobs, businesse…

The Infrastructure Funding and Financing Amendment Bill passed by Parliament today will give developers and councils more innovative tools to fund and finance the infrastructure New Zealand needs to grow, Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Parliamentary Under-Secretary Simon Court say. “Fixing the basics and building the future for New Zealand requires us to tackle the barriers which have prevented the delivery of the new homes and projects that will grow the economy, improve living standards and create jobs,” Mr Bishop says. “The Government’s Going for Housing Growth programme delivers solut…

The Government is modernising the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme, making it simpler and clearer to use while maintaining protections for workers and opportunities for New Zealanders. Immigration Minister Erica Stanford says the changes recognise the important role the RSE scheme plays, while responding to clear feedback that it has become too complex. "The RSE scheme has been a standout success for nearly 20 years, helping meet seasonal labour needs in our horticulture and viticulture industries while providing opportunities for work and training for Pacific workers and supporting…

The Government is introducing new biosecurity regulations to help poultry farmers manage H5 bird flu, protect livelihoods, and secure domestic food supply, Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says. “Now that H5 bird flu is here, it will almost certainly establish in wild birds. “Cabinet has approved regulations to ensure the sector has the practices, infrastructure, reporting, and compliance tools needed to manage that risk.” Poultry operators with more than 100 birds will be required to develop, register, and implement a farm biosecurity plan for avian disease, setting out how they will pr…

Auckland based barrister Paul Collins has been confirmed by parliament as the new Judicial Conduct Commissioner, Attorney-General Chris Bishop announced today. Mr Collins has almost 40 years of experience in legal practice and for most of the past 30 years has specialised in law and practice relating to the regulation of the legal profession. This work has included professional disciplinary matters at all levels from Standards Committees to Supreme Court appearances. His early career was with Glaister Ennor in Auckland and he was the senior litigation partner at that firm from 1999 till 201…

The Attorney-General has extended the final report deadline for the Public Inquiry into the disappearance of the Phillips children by one month, allowing the Inquiry additional time to clarify a matter. The Inquiry presented its report to the Governor-General’s office and the Attorney-General on Tuesday 21 July, as required by its terms of reference announced by the then Attorney-General, Hon Judith Collins, on 27 November 2025. Mr Bishop praised the work of the Chair, Hon Simon Moore, and the Inquiry. “The Inquiry has provided a thorough and exacting report on the nature and extent of gove…

Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka has confirmed two new appointments to the Waitangi Tribunal, Nick Wells and Rick Witana. “I would like to welcome Mr Wells and Mr Witana to their new roles and, at the same time, thank Dr Paul Hamer and Basil Morrison for their service as they step down as members,” Mr Potaka says. “Dr Hamer and Mr Morrison will continue serving on their existing panels until those inquiries conclude. “Mr Wells and Mr Witana bring a breadth of experience across governance, law, Iwi leadership, public policy and Crown–Māori relationships that will further support the Tr…

Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka has confirmed three key reappointments across Māori whenua, economic development, and Māori broadcasting governance. The appointments are Dr Charlotte Severne ONZM as Māori Trustee, Hinerangi Edwards ONZM as a trustee of the Poutama Trust Board, and Brian Morris as a member of the Te Māngai Pāho Board. "The reappointments provide continuity for organisations that help unlock the potential of Māori land, support Māori enterprise, and strengthen te reo Māori through broadcasting," Mr Potaka says. "Dr Charlotte Severne, Hinerangi Edwards and Brian Morris …

Long-term measures to reduce risk from fishing to hoiho will come into force on 16 September 2026, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. “Last year I established a temporary emergency ban of set-net fishing in a high-risk area around the Otago Peninsula to protect hoiho (yellow-eyed penguins). This allowed for a review of scientific evidence and public consultation before deciding next steps. “I have decided this closure will be made permanent. I am also establishing a new escalating response framework called a Fishing Related Mortality Limit (FRML) so I can act quickly and decisiv…

Sport and Recreation Minister Mark Mitchell today announced the appointment of Deborah Hart as Chair of the Sport Integrity Commission Board. “Deborah brings a wealth of governance, legal and accountability expertise to the role and will provide strong, independent leadership as the Commission enters its next phase and strengthens confidence in New Zealand’s sport integrity system. “The Sport Integrity Commission plays a vital role in promoting safe, fair, and inclusive sport and recreation environments for all New Zealanders. Deborah’s experience and leadership make her exceptionally well p…

Hon Penny Simmonds, Minister for Tertiary Education and Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology, is travelling to the People's Republic of China to visit Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, this week. Minister Simmonds will be accompanied by a delegation of 11 senior leaders of New Zealand institutes of technology and polytechnics (ITPs). The visit aims to strengthen bilateral relations between New Zealand and China in the Tertiary Education, and Science, Innovation and Technology areas, to promote New Zealand as a destination of choice for Chinese students, and to visit technology and re…

Over 97,500 New Zealand families have now received FamilyBoost payments to help with the cost of early childhood education, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. "Raising young children comes with significant costs, and this Government is committed to backing working parents with practical support that makes a real difference,” Nicola Willis says. "Last year we expanded FamilyBoost because we wanted more families to benefit and to receive larger payments. "We increased the rebate from 25 per cent to 40 per cent of eligible early childhood education costs, increased the maximum payment from $…

The Government is making it easier for growers of smaller-scale crops to use the agricultural chemicals they need to control pests and weeds, says Minister for Food Safety Andrew Hoggard. Agricultural chemicals are subject to risk-based maximum residue levels (MRLs). Until now, growers of minor crops such as strawberries or leafy greens have often had to rely on low default MRLs where no specific New Zealand limit has been set. “These growers now have a pathway to use internationally agreed, risk-based MRLs, helping them get better value from available herbicides and insecticides. Codex, th…

Cancer patients across the Wellington region will benefit from more precise and advanced treatment with a new radiation therapy Linear Accelerator (LINAC) machine now treating patients at Wellington Regional Hospital, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. "This new machine means patients across the region can access more advanced, highly targeted cancer treatment closer to home," Mr Brown says. "This latest generation LINAC replaces a machine that had reached the end of its working life, and is the first of two replacement LINACs being delivered through a $12.6 million investment to modernise r…