This edition of NewsRoom_Digest contains 5 media release snippets and 5 links of the day from Wednesday 27th May.
Top stories in the news cycle today include repercussions of the demise of counselling provider Relationships Aotearoa, a call for public submissions on a proposal to change the country’s fire services and the formation of a Forest Industry Safety Council (FISC) to help make forests safer workplaces.
SNIPPETS OF THE DAY
Green Party: Dodgy Dealing: New information in a Cabinet paper released yesterday reveals the Government spent additional $4 million purchasing genetic development, logistical, supply chain and market connections from the Saudi businessman’s farm after he was annoyed about New Zealand stopping live sheep export for slaughter.
NZ First: Losing Dairy Control: New Zealand faces loss of control of dairying to foreign business, says New Zealand First. “Foreigners are gaining control from the grass to the export product,” says New Zealand First Leader and Member of Parliament for Northland Rt Hon Winston Peters. “Foreign ownership of farms is ticked off on 100 per cent of applications. Foreigners are taking over or building their own processing plants. Foreigners are getting a direct hand up.
Labour Party: Auckland Council Doing It’s Part: The National Government’s blaming of Auckland Council for the city’s housing crisis has been exposed as scapegoating in the Office of the Auditor-General’s latest report, Labour’s Housing spokesperson Phil Twyford says. “The Auditor-General says Auckland Council’s part in fixing the housing affordability issue is the processing of building consents. The Office’s new report shows the Council is performing its responsibilities ‘reasonably well’.
Front-Line Service Delivering: The latest public sector staff capping report shows the Government’s commitment to providing better front-line services and keeping back-office numbers down is paying off, State Services Minister Paula Bennett says. “Across the board, the Government has set out a plan for a public service that puts New Zealanders first, ensuring taxpayers’ dollars are being spent on services that deliver real results for those most in need.
New Community Corrections Site In Upper Hutt: Corrections Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga today officially opened the refurbished Upper Hutt Community Corrections site. Mr Lotu-Iiga says the improvements will benefit staff, visitors and community-based offenders who report to the site. One of the key features of the refurbishment is the reception counter that has anti-climb features and is overlooked by staff in an open plan work area for increased visibility and security. The $4.68 million refurbishment included extending the original building, upgrading security and technology and an improved community work area.
LINKS OF THE DAY
HOT OFF THE PRESS – FIRE SERVICES REVIEW: Proposals to improve support for volunteer, paid and rural firefighters and to ensure fire services meet community expectations are open for public feedback. Internal Affairs Minister Peter Dunne has released the Fire Services Review Discussion Document and is calling for submissions over the next six weeks. Here’s the link: http://www.dia.govt.nz/Fire-Services-Review
ANTIBIOTICS NOT ALWAYS THE CURE: The annual cold and flu season has begun and the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners (‘the College’) is reminding everyone that antibiotics are not a cure-all for the winter sniffles. The policy brief on antibiotics and antimicrobial resistance is available at: https://www.rnzcgp.org.nz/policy-
TE ARAWA PARTNERSHIP MODEL: The news that Rotorua District Council has agreed to a modified version of the Te Arawa Partnership model has been widely welcomed, with media releases issued by the Race Relations Commissioner, Maori Party and Labour Party. Labour’s Māori Development spokesperson Nanaia Mahuta said councils around New Zealand have an opportunity to improve their consultation with Iwi Māori by following this example. Learn more here: http://www.rdc.govt.nz/our-council/tearawapartnership/Pages/default.aspx
INTERCONNECTING WIND FARMS: Variable winds—even in New Zealand’s most blustery locations—make it difficult for windfarms to contribute more fully to the national grid, but now University of Otago research points the way to achieving a highly reliable supply of wind power. A new study by the Department of Geography’s Dr Nicolas Cullen and his former Master’s student Peter Gibson indicates that interlinking windfarms across different regions of the country could boost generation reliability from New Zealand windfarms. Click here to read the study:http://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/abs/10.1175/JAMC-D-14-0273.1
EMPLOYER SATISFACTION: More than 9 out of 10 Wellington employers say they are satisfied with the work readiness of WelTec graduates, and WelTec graduates rate highly in terms of suitability for the future needs of business. The 2015 Employer Satisfaction Survey can be found on the following link: http://weltec.ac.nz/ABOUTWELTEC/StrategyDocumentsandPublications/tabid/624/Default.aspx
And that’s our sampling of the day that was on Wednesday 27th May 2015.
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