Latest news with #NewZealandGazette
Scoop
22-07-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Secondary Legislation Access To Be Improved
Attorney-General A bill to make it easier to find and comply with the law and to digitise government services by improving access to secondary legislation has passed its first reading, Attorney-General Judith Collins says. 'Secondary legislation includes regulations and many types of orders, rules, exemptions, bylaws, notices and instruments with many different names,' Ms Collins says. 'The Legislation Amendment Bill promotes high-quality legislation for New Zealand that is easy to find, use and understand. 'Currently most secondary legislation is drafted and published by agencies and is difficult to access. In fact, no one knows how much there is, with estimates ranging from 7500-10,000 published by about 100 government and non-government agencies, plus every local authority. 'Some is published on the agency's website, some is published in the New Zealand Gazette or in newspapers or, sometimes, it appears to not be publicly available at all. 'These variable publication arrangements undermine the rule of law, increase compliance costs, hamper digital government and impair scrutiny of delegated law-making powers.' 'The bill will standardise publication practices, making it a requirement that secondary legislation drafted by agencies is published on the agency website or another approved internet site.' Alongside the Bill, the Parliamentary Counsel Office is redeveloping the official New Zealand legislation website using data collection technology to find, index and link agency-published secondary legislation and make it searchable from the website. A public demo of the new legislation website is available for users to test and already includes a lot of agency-published secondary legislation. 'This will turn the website into a one-stop shop for legislation matters,' Ms Collins says. 'My vision is that the public will soon only need to visit one website to find all New Zealand legislation and related information.'
NZ Herald
29-06-2025
- Politics
- NZ Herald
US Proud Boys no longer terrorists in NZ as designation lapses
Members of the Proud Boys were involved in the US Capitol riots of 2021. Photo / New York Times Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech. Members of the Proud Boys were involved in the US Capitol riots of 2021. Photo / New York Times Members of the American far-right group the Proud Boys are no longer considered terrorists in New Zealand, as the group's terrorist designation has expired. A notice published on the New Zealand Gazette on June 19 confirmed the group's 2022 designation as a terrorist entity under the Terrorism Suppression Act had lapsed. A spokesperson of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet said the Proud Boys remained 'on the radar' of the Terrorism Designation Working Group. '[I]n due course, officials will consider any new information that arises to support a decision around whether there are reasonable grounds to designate it in accordance with the Terrorism Suppression Act 2002.' While the statement didn't address why the designation wasn't renewed, it detailed how such an action required an entity to 'either knowingly carrying out, or knowingly participating in the carrying out, of an act of terrorism'.
Scoop
22-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Tertiary Study Subsidy Boost In Priority Subjects
Minister for Universities Hon Penny Simmonds Minister for Vocational Education The Government is backing the tertiary system with new investment in study that delivers the greatest value for students and for New Zealand, Minister for Universities Dr Shane Reti and Minister for Vocational Education Penny Simmonds announced today. 'Budget 2025 invests an extra $398 million in tertiary education over the next four years. We need to grow our domestic pipeline of skilled workers to support the growing economy,' Dr Reti says. Ms Simmonds says, 'When considering subsidies, we focused on workforce demand areas where study adds the greatest value – both for students planning their futures, and for the wider economy that relies on their skills. 'These subjects often lead to rewarding careers and contribute to productivity and growth in sectors like health, energy, infrastructure and digital technology,' she says. The Budget tertiary system investment includes: · $213 million to provide a 3 per cent increase in tuition and training subsidies in many subjects across all levels of tertiary study. The extra funding will be ongoing from 2026. · $64 million for an additional 1.75 per cent lift in tertiary education subsidies at degree level and above in high demand 'STEM' subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths), along with Initial Teacher Education and other priority health workforce areas. This is on top of the broader 3 per cent increase, meaning that, in total, the STEM and other higher-priority subjects will attract a 4.75 per cent tuition cost subsidy increase at degree level and above. $111 million to fund forecast enrolment in 2025 and 2026. This includes ongoing funding for another 175 Youth Guarantee students a year – this scheme provides fees-free tertiary tuition at Levels 1–3 to help young people move to higher-level study or work. Budget 2025 proposes an annual maximum fee rise of 6 per cent for 2026 to further help providers manage cost pressures and maintain quality delivery. 'The proposed maximum rate reflects that fees have lagged behind inflation in recent years, making it harder for providers to maintain course quality. I will consult on the proposed fee increase later in 2025 through a notice published in the New Zealand Gazette,' Mr Reti says. 'Together, the targeted funding rate increases, and the proposed fee increase will support tertiary education and training providers to sustain the quality of provision and further invest in priority areas,' the ministers say. Changes to funding for vocational education and training will provide some additional support during the transition away from Te Pūkenga to the redesigned system. The new Industry Skills Boards will receive ongoing funding of $30 million a year for industry-led standards-setting alongside Budget funding for a one-off $10 million in 2025/26 towards establishment costs. 'Provider-based delivery in priority areas, including engineering, trades and primary industries will receive a boost to funding rates. There will also be funding available for two years from 2026 for institutes of technology and polytechnics during their transition to greater independence,' Ms Simmonds says. 'In developing the Budget package, we have reprioritised funding to focus on core activities and to further support frontline tertiary education services. 'Taken together, these initiatives support a sustainable tertiary education and training sector that will lift student achievement and contribute to growing the New Zealand economy.'
Scoop
21-04-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Podiatrist Prescribers Will Increase Access To Medicines
Minister of Health Regulations that will soon allow podiatrists to prescribe certain medicines have been approved, giving patients with painful foot and leg conditions better access to healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown has announced. 'Enabling podiatrists to be able to prescribe medicines is all part of our Government's commitment to ensuring Kiwis have access to timely, quality healthcare in their communities,' Mr Brown says. 'Podiatrists play a critical role in managing a range of conditions affecting feet and lower limbs, including symptoms of chronic health conditions like diabetes, which impact many New Zealanders. 'New regulations will give podiatrists the authority to prescribe medicines relating to their role, enabling patients to have more direct access to the medicines for these conditions. 'This means podiatrists will join other health professions that have designated prescriber rights, including specially trained nurses, dieticians, and pharmacists. Medicines will include some oral painkillers and oral antibiotics, and some topical antifungals, topical steroids, and local anaesthetics. 'Podiatrists usually work in community and rural settings. They are particularly important for helping manage diabetes or health conditions of older people, as people with diabetes and older people are vulnerable to nerve and circulation problems, both of which can lead to foot and leg sores and infections. Advertisement - scroll to continue reading 'These changes will allow podiatrists to prescribe medicines directly, so patients can access the treatments they need without requiring extra GP appointments for the same condition. 'The Government has also recently announced changes to prescriber regulations to give nurse practitioners and other professions increased prescribing rights within their scope of practice. 'By expanding access to medicines and enabling health professionals to get on with their jobs, we can make it easier and quicker for people to get the care they need in their communities, closer to home,' Mr Brown says. Notes: New regulations enabling podiatrist prescribers were published in the New Zealand Gazette on 17 April 2025. The Podiatrists Board will develop a scope of practice and training requirements for podiatrist prescribers. Podiatrists who have current annual practising certificates will be eligible to train as prescribers, with the first to undertake training in 2026. The first podiatrist prescribers are likely to begin working from late 2026 to early 2027. Designated Podiatrist prescribers will be able to prescribe medicines specified by the Director-General of Health through a notice in the New Zealand Gazette. These medicines will include some oral painkillers and oral antibiotics, and some topical antifungals, topical steroids, and local anaesthetics. These changes bring New Zealand in line with other countries, including Australia, Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Body Shop NZ enters liquidation with store closures and job losses
Cosmetics and beauty retailer The Body Shop's operations in New Zealand have entered liquidation, resulting in the cessation of all storefront operations and the loss of 70 jobs. An announcement on The Body Shop's website confirms that all bricks-and-mortar locations have ceased operations indefinitely, and the online store has halted order fulfilment. A statement on the website reads: "We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our valued customers for your unwavering support throughout the years. Your passion for our products and ethical values has meant everything to us." Official records from the New Zealand Gazette indicate that the liquidation process commenced on 27 March 2025, with Neale Jackson and Daniel Stoneman from Calibre Partners as its liquidators. The website states that: 'the undersigned does hereby fix 15 April 2025 as the date on or before which creditors of the company are to make their claims and to establish any priority their claims may have under section 312 of the Companies Act 1993'. Signals of distress were evident in January when The Body Shop NZ engaged voluntary administrators. It disclosed that efforts to find a purchaser for the New Zealand division had been unsuccessful, leading to initiatives aimed at selling off inventory and dismantling business activities. The company maintained a network of 16 retail outlets, employing 70 full-time staff, as reported by Radio New Zealand. According to the initial liquidation report, the company's total liabilities exceed $12m. The company possessed cash assets exceeding $2m, which are subject to the final costs of administration, as reported by local news media website Its parent entity in the UK avoided a similar fate in September 2024 when Aurea Group acquired its 113 UK stores and assumed control over its Australian and North American holdings. The Body Shop UK business was placed into administration in February 2024. "Body Shop NZ enters liquidation with store closures and job losses" was originally created and published by Retail Insight Network, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
