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RNZ News
23 minutes ago
- RNZ News
Morning Report Essentials for Wednesday 6 August 2025
disability environment 5 minutes ago In today's episode, an overhaul of the rules will allow greater catch limits when fish are abundant and stop on-board camera footage from being made public; Unemployment is tipped to reach a nine-year high on Wednesday; A leaked Cabinet paper shows the government was planning to restrict the hours bottle stores and supermarkets could sell alcohol. But the documents obtained by RNZ show it has backed away from those plans to focus on making business easier for the alcohol industry; A blind woman on the Supported Living Payment says she's struggling to use what she describes as the Ministry of Social Development's "impossible system"; A building course for high school kids in Opotiki is giving hard-to-reach students career options they might never have had otherwise.
RNZ News
23 minutes ago
- RNZ News
Stricter rules for using facial recognition
The final biometrics code, which governs how technology such as facial recognition, is collected and used, has just been released by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner. The Code, which is now law under the Privacy Act, aims to ensure agencies implementing biometric technologies are doing it safely and in a way that is proportionate. Facial recognition technology has come under increased scrutiny in recent years - particularly its use in retail stores. Retailers say with workers and other customers facing high rates of verbal and physical abuse from repeat offenders the technology is a necessary crime-prevention tool. Foodstuffs North Island recently trialled the technology - however the results suggested hundreds of shoppers a year could be misidentified. The Privacy Commissioner's review then made a range of recommendations to improve the system. Facial recognition also has a history of being less accurate the darker the skin of a person, though some algorithms are better than others, and the technology is improving. A Maori Reference Panel set up at the end of 2024 told the commissioner it opposed the use of facial recognition use in supermarkets. The Privacy Commissioner is Michael Webster, and Retail NZ chief executive is Carolyn Young. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
RNZ News
2 hours ago
- RNZ News
Could Northland's Marsden Point be NZ's first 'Special Economic Zone'?
'I'm on top of the world!' Regional Development Minister Shane Jones descends from the top of a 27-metre-high fuel tank. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf A 'Special Economic Zone' at Northland's Marsden Point could supercharge the region's - if not the country's - economy, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Jones and New Zealand First leader Winston Peters visited Marsden Point on Tuesday to inspect a jet fuel storage project , while also promoting their vision for encouraging investment around Northland's main port. Peters said the area could "easily" become New Zealand's first Special Economic Zone . It had New Zealand's best deep-water port, was closest to international shipping lanes, and had plenty of land to build on. "These zones go a step beyond fast-track legislation. The zones will also have tax regimes that appeal to investors, local and international alike." Jones said Special Economic Zones already operated in Ireland, Singapore and Croatia. He said increased depreciation, tax "holidays" in which companies initially paid no tax, and attractive regulatory regimes could be used to attract large-scale investment in specific areas. Jones admitted the plan was "unorthodox" and would not say if it was supported by the party's coalition partners - but he believed bold moves were needed because current efforts to grow the economy were not working. "The Ruth Richardson bare austerity approach … it's not delivering the economic growth we need. Unless we have these kinds of bespoke initiatives, with tax incentives and self-consenting powers, I fear we're just going to be stuck in a rut talking about the same things year after year … and that's not good enough." Only a small degree of contortion is required for the Regional Development Minister Shane Jones to enter the nation's equal-biggest jet fuel tank. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf He said the party wanted to table Special Economic Zone legislation in the coming year, or take the policy to the next election. Jones was typically provocative when describing how consenting in a Special Economic Zone might work. "When the zone is created any conditions of an environmental resource management character should be written into the zone. And then, my view is, you just have a couple of engineers in a tin shed somewhere, they can quickly consent things. This business of constipating and protracting all these resource consent processes is making the country broke." The Marsden Point zone, if created, could incorporate the former oil refinery site, the proposed Northport extension, and a planned dry dock facility for servicing large vessels such as Navy ships and Cook Strait ferries. Z Energy chief executive Lindis Jones and corporate affairs general manager Haley Mortimer with Regional Development Minister Shane Jones (centre) in the 18-metre-deep jet fuel tank. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf A rail link between the port and Northland's existing railway line was also vital for the development of Marsden Point, Jones said. Meanwhile, the aviation fuel tank the ministers came to inspect was being constructed by Channel Infrastructure on the former Marsden Point oil refinery site. Jones said it would boost New Zealand's resilience at a time of increasing geopolitical instability. Channel chief executive Rob Buchanan said the 30-million-litre tank had previously been used for crude oil and was being adapted for jet fuel at cost of up to $30m, in partnership with Z Energy. It would hold enough fuel for 10,000 flights between Auckland and Wellington. Once complete it would increase total storage of jet fuel, petrol and diesel at Marsden Point to about 300 million litres. Channel Infrastructure chief executive Rob Buchanan and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones atop a 30-million-litre jet fuel tank. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf Buchanan said it was not the only project bringing life back to the site where oil refining ended in 2022. "One of the projects we're working on very actively at the moment is repurposing the old refinery into a biorefinery, which could produce diesel and jet fuel. That's with some international partners because it would be a very significant amount of capital investment. It'd be really exciting to bring back manufacturing capacity," he said. Buchanan would not say what would be used as the raw material, citing business confidentiality. A decision as to whether the biorefinery would go ahead was expected next year. Both Jones and Peters expressed disappointment at the oil refinery's closure , but with the cost of reopening it estimated at $5-7 billion, Jones accepted that was not going to happen. "We're over that chapter and we have to support new industry and new investment," he said. Regional Development Minister Shane Jones with Channel Infrastructure chairman James Miller, chief executive Rob Buchanan and operations general manager James Stewart inside the 30-million-litre jet fuel tank. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf Peters said the Marsden Point rail project, which was part of the coalition agreement, was continuing to make progress. Almost all the land required had been bought and KiwiRail had completed the design work. The 19 kilometre rail spur between Oakleigh, south of Whangārei, and Northport had initially been estimated to cost $1 billion. Peters said he would not accept such a high cost. In the coming weeks KiwiRail would share its designs, on a confidential basis, with other potential builders, he said. "We're going to get value for money. And if we don't get it from New Zealanders we'll get it from international competition. That's why I can guarantee you we're not talking about a billion dollars or anything like it." Construction had originally been due to begin in late 2026 or early 2027 but Jones said that had been delayed. The other major project planned for Marsden Point was a dry dock expected to cost $400-500m. Jones said it would be a public-private partnership part-funded by the Regional Infrastructure Fund. Shortlisted companies had until May to submit Requests for Proposal. Jones said the government was "getting closer" to choosing a successful bidder. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
