Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith today announced funding of $800,000 for the Old Ghost Road cycle trail.
“The trail offers a journey back in time to the gold rush days of the 1860s and the long-forgotten settlements of Zalatown, Gibbstown, and remote farms that were abandoned after the 1929 magnitude 7.8 Murchison earthquake reshaped the land [...]

The settlement of legal action by the Ministry of Education against two New Zealand subsidiaries of James Hardie over weather-tightness of school buildings is good news for the future of New Zealand schools, says Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye.
“This settlement represents a win-win situation for both parties and I’m very pleased [...]

90 community groups are to receive $3.6 million in Government funding to support conservation projects throughout the country, Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith announced today.
“These 90 Biofunds grants are about DOC partnering with communities to protect the birds, plants, landscapes and habitats that make New Zealand special,” Dr Smith says.
“This programme of community conservation grants [...]

The Department of Conservation has commissioned an independent financial viability report into the Fiordland monorail proposal being promoted by Riverstone Holdings Limited at the request of Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith.
“This is the most significant concession ever sought on public conversation land and the longest monorail in the world. I want to ensure my decision [...]

The Government’s sound policies are building a faster-growing economy, with annual growth moving ahead of Australia and supporting more jobs and higher incomes, Finance Minister Bill English says.
Statistics New Zealand today reported gross domestic product expanded by 1.4 per cent in the September quarter, the largest quarterly increase since December 2009.
This took annual growth – [...]

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce today announced funding of up to $804 million over ten years for the second tranche of New Zealand’s National Science Challenges.
The ten National Science Challenges were announced in May, and funding for the first three Challenges was released in October.
The remaining seven Challenges and their funding levels are:
• Ageing [...]

Education Minister Hekia Parata and Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye said today that the Ministry of Education’s Infrastructure Service team has been shortlisted for a global risk management award.
The London-based Institute of Risk Management, with members in over 100 countries, has shortlisted the Ministry of Education in the category of Delivering Value through Risk Management.
“I [...]

Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman is holding bilateral talks with his Australian counterpart, Senator David Johnston in Auckland today.
“New Zealand has a strong defence relationship with Australia, and I look forward to working closely with Senator Johnston,” says Dr Coleman.
“As part of our bilateral meeting, we will be discussing the current security issues in the Asia-Pacific [...]

Commerce Minister Craig Foss today announced the reappointments of Dr Mark Berry as Chair and Sue Begg as Deputy Chair of the Commerce Commission.
“These reappointments will maintain continuity in the leadership of the Commerce Commission. This is particularly important as the Commission prepares to implement significant reforms in competition, consumer [...]

The Government’s programme to build a faster-growing economy with more jobs and rising incomes is delivering positive results, Finance Minister Bill English says.
The Half-Year Economic and Fiscal Update, issued today, forecasts a relatively strong upturn, with economic growth reaching 3.6 per cent in 2015 and the unemployment rate falling.
“While the recovery gathers momentum, the global [...]