My name is Grace Taylor. I am the daughter of a mother suffering from Alzheimer's / Early Onset Dementia. Mum is 1 of the 60,000 people in New Zealand currently affected by this disease. A statistic set to triple in New Zealand by 2050.[1] In March 2018, my mother’s health deteriorated and as a result, medical professionals advised my brother (who lives in Australia) and I that our mum required full time care by skilled professionals. We made the heartbreaking decision to admit our mother into a residential care home. A bigger hit came in May 2018, when my mother fell victim to unfair legislation that is crippling our family to financially provide for the quality care that my mother so rightly deserves. Two months after mum's condition required her to be admitted into full time care, mum’s application to the Ministry of Social Development for the residential care home subsidy was denied, in full and stood down to reapply again for another 4 years. This is due to the strict, blanket criteria of the eligibility for this subsidy. More specifically the criteria around the income and asset testing of applicants. Anyone’s loved ones could require residential care for many health reasons. As of 30 June 2018 there were 31,566 people aged 65+ in long term aged residential care. In addition there were 550 in respite care, for a total of 32,116. There are a further 1271 “Other residents” in living in aged care facilities but who don’t qualify for aged residential care ie “people fully funded by ACC or people with long-term conditions who are not assessed for aged residential care”.[2] Papers released under the Official Information Act show that each year around 1000 people with assets or income over the threshold receive no government help to pay weekly residential care costs that can reach over $1000.[3] "The asset base that you have to fall below to qualify for the subsidy is, I would argue, really quite low. We get a lot of people saying to us, look I just didn't know that dementia would be this expensive. It really costs people a lot of money." - Paul Sullivan, Chief Executive Dementia NZ I went public with my mother’s story on social media in May 2018. Within 24 hours - 10 NZ families contacted me directly with very similar stories for their loved ones with that have required residential care home to care for their loved ones. And there are so many more. With the denial of her residential care home subsidy due to the asset and gifting threshold set by the Ministry of Social Development, my mother has been stood down for 4 years to receive any financial support for her care home fees. Leaving my brother and I to pay her $4900 monthly fees, for the next 4 years. I am a single mother, I work full time, have a mortagage, and the only benefit I receive from the government is the OSCAR subsidy for my son’s after school care. Since March 2018 I have been had to take out personal loans, and rely on contributions of my brother, mum’s minimal pension, and my salary to pay $890 a fortnight for our family home mortgage, and $4960 a month for mums care home fee. As of August 2018, I can no longer maintain these costs. As a result we have been forced into a decision to sell our family home, of 40 years, in order to fund mums care over the next 4 years. A home that was the only place that was familiar and safe to my mother as her dementia took hold, a home I have been raising my son, a home that was my mother’s only material asset, a home that my mother worked 3 jobs to own and provide as security for her children. This is now being taken from us. My mother has never received a benefit from the government and has worked 2 sometimes 3 jobs for over 40 years to provide for us. I have followed all the formal avenues and processes with my local MP, Ministry of Social Development and Ministry of Health. Having received responses from each minister directly it became very clear that what needs to be addressed is the legislation around the residential care home subsidy. This is my call, on behalf of many voices, for that action. Please raise your voice with me. Fa'afetai tele lava. To read more about the detailed bigger picture of my family's story please visit: https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/363396/families-of-dementia-sufferers-face-huge-bills Tagata Pasifika feature story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27r-EA0JSJY&t=7s Here is my open letter to NZ in response to our situtation. https://www.facebook.com/grace.taylor.5437923/videos/1627972693991555/ References 1. As stated in the report Economic Impact of Dementia (2016) by Deloitte & Alzheimer's New Zealand 2. New Zealand Aged Care Association 3. Radio New Zealand, 6th August 2018

The final terms of reference for the Royal Commission are about to be announced. The Royal Commission has been set up initially to investigate survivors abused in state care up until 1999. We support those survivors and want them to have justice. But we know this would exclude the large group who were abused in the care of other institutions, especially churches, and survivors after this date. These people went through the same experience and deserve justice too. We have many survivors in New Zealand that were abused by members of their church. The abusers have been hidden and protected by the churches, while the survivors have had to deal with the fall out of their childhood abuse. Alcohol, drugs, violence, family issues and failed relationships are common outcomes. A disproportionate number of survivors end up in prison while their abusers walk free. At the moment, these survivors' only option is to expose themselves to the further trauma by reporting their abuse to the Police or returning to the church which allowed the abuse to happen. Often nothing can be done because the burden of proof is so high. It has been suggested that churches could run their own inquiry. This would be impossible. Survivors would have to return to the institutions where they were abused and traumatised. Churches have a history of protecting abusers at the expense of victims. The Royal Commission was set up so state abuse survivors had a safe place to report their abuse and seek justice. We want the same for other survivors of institutional abuse. The Royal Commission can also use its power to hold institutions to account and recommend changes to prevent future abuse. An inclusive inquiry will give the opportunity to prevent future abuse in NZ institutions. This is supported by the network of survivors of abuse in church based institutions, and their supporters. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NZfaithbasedsurvivornetwok/ Church's failure 'serious' https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/churchs-failure-serious Inquiry into abuse in state care https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/inquiry-abuse-state-care

The New Zealand government is about to spend $2.3 billion to buy four Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, replacing six old P-3K2 Orion planes.[1] The planes are due to be delivered and begin operations from 2023. These planes are designed to hunt submarines and signals a troubling shift in foreign policy, moving away from an independent stance.[2] The P8s are war-fighting planes and as such will spend much of their time overseas on exercises with Five Eyes partners (an intelligence alliance comprising Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States), or on coalition missions, most likely in the Middle East. They will be less available for what we really need - for fisheries patrols or search and rescue over our Exclusive Economic Zone, the Southern Ocean and the South Pacific. There are plenty of maritime surveillance planes with high technical specifications that can be purchased for less than $100 million.[3] The $2.3 billion to be spent on the P8s could be saved for much needed social spending such as increasing wages for teachers and nurses, building houses and fixing our health and mental health systems. The New Zealand P8s will be fitted out with surveillance systems, communications platforms, and weapons targeting, all geared to work in tandem with the American and Australian P8s. In effect they do the same job. The P8 purchase can only be interpreted as siding militarily with America, against China. These surveillance planes, optimised for anti-submarine warfare, are only useful to fight alongside America in a major war. The purchase of four signals an even closer military alignment with the United States, and reflects badly on our non-aligned status. Sign to show your support for New Zealand is as an independent player, acting as a mediator, peacemaker and a general advocate of progressive policies. 'The officials considering our national maritime patrol requirements concluded that New Zealand does not need to maintain a maritime patrol force that includes an anti-submarine capability.' Prime Minister Helen Clark, 2001 World BEYOND War is a new global nonviolent movement to end war and establish a just and sustainable peace. We aim to create awareness of popular support for ending war and to further develop that support. We work to advance the idea of not just preventing any particular war but abolishing the entire institution. We strive to replace a culture of war with one of peace in which nonviolent means of conflict resolution take the place of bloodshed. https://worldbeyondwar.org References 1 - Govt to spend $2.3b on planes to replace aging fleet https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/361421/govt-to-spend-2-point-3b-on-planes-to-replace-aging-fleet 2 - New sub-killer planes may never fire in anger but Govt wants the option https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/105452173/New-sub-killer-planes-may-never-fire-in-anger-but-Govt-wants-the-option 3 - Canada’s Field Aviation provides such planes for clients including Australia and Sweden. http://www.fieldav.com/ Comment: Campbell: Five reasons not to spend billions replacing P-3s http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1807/S00058/campbell-five-reasons-not-to-spend-billions-replacing-p-3s.htm Splashing $2.3bn on aircraft erodes NZ’s independent foreign policy https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/14-07-2018/splashing-2-3bn-on-aircraft-erodes-nzs-independent-foreign-policy/ New Defence purchase deserves close scrutiny https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/on-the-inside/361568/new-defence-purchase-deserves-close-scrutiny Editorial: $2.3b Poseidon purchase is a questionable adventure for Defence Force https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/editorials/105375361/editorial-23b-poseidon-purchase-is-a-questionable-adventure-for-defence-force

Let's Listen to the Experts New Zealand’s EEO Commissioner Jackie Blue, recently recommended a Royal Commission of Inquiry into New Zealand’s Family Court, a call that was repeated by the United Nations CEDAW Committee following a review of New Zealand’s response to the human rights of women. Minister Andrew Little however, in a unilateral decision announced on the day the CEDAW recommendation was released, stated that New Zealand would NOT hold a Royal Commission of Inquiry, but would instead continue with the proposed review of the 2014 Family Court reforms. We strongly believe that New Zealand needs to follow the UN’s recommendation. Allowing the Family Court to continue to function in the way that it has, constitutes state funded abuse, resulting in serious violations of the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of women and children who have experienced violence and abuse. CEDAW commented: ‘The Committee is concerned about the apparent crisis within the Family Courts system, reflected in mistreatment of women, particularly women victims of domestic violence’. We Urgently Need A Royal Commission To Clean Up The Family Court Our violence and abuse statistics are shameful. The Family Court is an integral part of the system that responds to violence and abuse. It needs to respond safely in these cases, and it is not. The Backbone Collective's five reports produced over the last 18 months have highlighted that there are systemic failures where women and children are being marginalised in the NZ Family Court, and these failures are supported by a culture that condones violence. It is pertinent that only four hours before CEDAW’s recommendations were released, Judge Connell, a Hamilton Judge, was quoted by The NZ Herald. His comments were shocking and disturbing and provide an example of the thinking we experience from those working in the Family Court. “Often dads who indulge in violence are not necessarily bad fathers and, in fact, they do have a bond with their child... And as soon as you start putting people inside and remanding in custody you're breaking that bond. And that damages children badly." We know first-hand what is wrong with the current system. Our children suffer under orders of the Family Court. We suffer and are repeatedly endangered by the Family Court system. It is not safe for us to speak out individually, but The Backbone Collective has surveyed hundreds of New Zealand women who have experienced violence and abuse who used the Family Court, and their findings are detailed in their reports available online. Shocking detail about the unsafe practices and decisions coming out from the court has been revealed – abused women and children feeling controlled, frightened, terrorised, put down, silenced and punished for speaking out about the abuse in the Family Court. Women described the Family Court as having an enormous and negative impact on their finances, and their physical and mental health. Why is it that the New Zealand Government have known about what is happening in the Family Court for many years, but are continuing to choose to do nothing effective, thereby neglecting its duty of care to protect women and children from harm? What's Wrong With Andrew Little's Plan To Just Have a Review We know, as indeed does CEDAW, that the proposed review of the Family Court reforms of 2014 will go nowhere near deep enough to expose what has been happening. New Zealand’s system of government requires that an inquiry into the operation and culture of the Family Court simply cannot be done by a Ministerial Review such as the one the Government is about to announce. Only a Public Inquiry or a Royal Commission can do this. There must be powers to subpoena witnesses, interview judges and other court officials, and review case files, decisions and orders. This cannot be achieved under the Governments proposed review. The proposed Review of the Family Court is focused on the legislative reforms made in 2014, but the problems women are telling Backbone about, have been happening for many years before the 2014 reforms. Furthermore, only a Public Inquiry or a Royal Commission can provide a safe way for women and children who have experienced violence and abuse, to make submissions, and to give evidence of their experiences in the Family Court without fear of negative repercussions. Why Our Request is Urgent There is urgency in our petition as the likelihood of punishment for speaking out about the Family Court is now becoming more formalised - there is a Reform Bill currently before parliament seeking to strengthen contempt of court legislation, which will make it even easier to punish those who critique the court or the judiciary, with the possibility of a jail sentence. Things need to get better – not worse. Let’s Do This It is abhorrent that with each day that passes, while our government chooses to ignore the recommendation of the UN to undertake a Royal Commission of Inquiry, more and more women and children in New Zealand are abused by the system that is supposed to make them safer. You can read more about CEDAW's recommendations https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=CEDAW%2fC%2fNZL%2fCO%2f8&Lang=en and The Backbone Collective reports https://www.backbone.org.nz/reports/

As a result of decisions made through Environment Canterbury’s Long-Term Plan 2018-28 process, it has been decided the 145 route that currently runs from Westmorland to Eastgate will be changed. The proposed options for public transport in the draft Long-Term Plan included that the six lowest-performing bus routes in Christchurch would be discontinued. Over 700 submissions were received about the public transport proposals, including many verbal submissions at the hearings held in late April and early May. These submissions were considered by the Councillors before the decisions about the final route changes were made. The new solution includes changes such as reducing frequency instead of entirely removing routes, and redirecting existing routes. Despite the new solution being reached, the section of the 145 bus route that currently services Bromley is still set to be discontinued. These changes are expected to be implemented in October 2018. There is a high level of concern from residents and businesses regarding the discontinuation of the Bromley end of the 145, so Environment Canterbury are going to consider whether it might be possible to retain any level of service for this area at the same time. An update on these options will be shared with the Environment Canterbury Council in August 2018. We are calling on Environment Canterbury to retain public transport services in our neighbourhood, as the walk to reach alternative bus routes is not manageable by many of the people who currently use the 145. It's not practical for people with mobility limitations to make the walk. We fear that without the vital bus service link to places such as Eastgate and the associated social experiences and essential services that some people, particularly the elderly, will become more socially isolated. This petition has been organised by staff and users of the Bromley Community Centre, 45 Bromley Road. Please sign the petition to add your voice.

Close passing is intimidating, dangerous, and in the worst cases life threatening for people on bikes and foot. The NZ Road Code recommends 1.5m: “Give cyclists plenty of room when passing them. Ideally, allow at least 1.5 metres between you and the cyclist”, but this lacks the force of law. Bike lanes are great but they don't go everywhere. People on bikes need the protection of the law. More at https://can.org.nz/givemeroom Safe Passing Rule FAQ at http://cyclingchristchurch.co.nz/2015/11/13/mythbusting-what-a-safe-passing-rule-means/

The DHBs have been asked by the Nurses Union NZNO for more money for more nursing staff to safely staff their (the DHB) workplaces (DHB workplaces are public hospitals), for 14 years, and each year since 2004, the DHBs have failed to provide money for more nursing staff to make their workplaces safe for the patients and the nursing staff. When DHB workplaces are unsafely staffed the patients do not receive the care that they require. Essential monitoring of a deteriorating patient gets missed by the nurse because they have too many patients to safely care for, pain medication gets missed, nurses become exhausted and fail to take their meal breaks which compounds an already unsafe situation, and sentinel events (near misses, and serious injury and death to patients due to unsafe staffing) start to occur. However as the DHB hasn't committed to putting Care Capacity Demand Management into place which is NZNO Safe Staffing request, as advocated for by NZNO, the instances of Unsafe Staffing in DHB workplaces are neither recorded nor audited. So NZNO, NZNO Nursing members, DHBs, or the Safe Staffing Healthy Workplaces Unit have no idea how many instances of care rationing have lead to sentinel events for patients being cared for in DHB workplaces. The DHBs have a conflict of interest and at NZNO nurse wage negotiation times, pit one essential requirement of nurses demanding a pay rise versus the nurses essential requirement for more staffing to safely care for our patients. The District Health Boards honour neither requirement, because it is in the District Health Board's interest to save money. This is a conflict of interest and it makes a mockery of the District Health Board acting as a "Good Faith" bargaining partner. This is the possibility of corruption in a government department, and is not acting in “Good Faith” as an employer. We ask that the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment, and the New Zealand Nurses Organisation divest all District Health Boards from New Zealand Nursing Organisations 'safe staffing' agreement. Make the 'safe staffing' agreement between New Zealand Nurses Organisation, Ministry Of Health, and Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment. The DHB needs to bargain in good faith on the wages and pay increases for its employees. The DHB could then be held accountable to the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment regarding honouring the government mandate of providing a safe DHB workplace for the staff and patients. Ensure that care capacity demand management requirements are provided for and achieved in the DHB workplace, and are advised upon and enforced by NZNO. Funding for Safe Staffing would be the only responsibility of the Ministry of Health to avoid future conflicts of interest, and regulated by the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment, and be audited, administered, enforced and staffed by NZNO in the DHB workplace every shift. It is important that an effective government department such as the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment, which is bound by the Health and Safety Act 2015, can regulate, administer and enforce laws that protect the patients and staff who work in DHB workplaces. Nursing and Allied Health Staff work in DHB workplaces and provide care for Patients, in the workplace that the DHB provides. The DHB is obliged under the Health and Safety Act 2015 to provide all requirements in their workplaces, to meet Health and Safety standards which include Safe Staffing, specific nurse to patient ratios depending on acuity/comorbidity that are enforced by New Zealand Nurses Organisation 24/7 on site staff who monitor, record, audit, communicate and find staff for unsafely staffed DHB workplaces. NZNO would advise, regulate, enforce, administer and provide staff to monitor DHB workplaces and Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment compliance with safe staffing. There would always be a NZNO staff member available within DHB workplaces 24/7 to monitor compliance of the DHB workplace's nurse to patient ratios and reporting, recording, and enabling provision of one or multiple nursing staff members to work should that be required. Having a stronger and more responsive government Ministry in place will make accountability for safer staffing greater, will minimise care rationing by nurses to patients, and will decrease length of hospital stay for patients, it will provide for better care to the patient and more effective nursing care within a shorter time frame, and will diminish the incidence of serious sentinel events (serious and fatal harm caused to patients due to unsafely staffed DHB workplaces). It will also allow the DHB to act as a bargaining employer of Good Faith, and will restore some transparency, integrity and accountability to the DHB's reputation to deliver upon wage negotiation pay rises for Nursing staff. http://nursingnzme2.wpengine.com/right-staffing-happier-staff-finds-ccdm-research/ http://nursingreview.co.nz/right-nurse-right-place-and-right-time/ http://nursingreview.co.nz/safe-staffing-and-nursing-strikes-a-brief-history/ https://www.nzno.org.nz/get_involved/campaigns/care_point/what_is_ccdm https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/opinion/2018/07/duncan-garner-irony-nurses-finally-get-safe-staffing-levels-during-strike.html

Everyone deserves a home that is safe, healthy, affordable and stable. The half of New Zealand who lives in rental accommodation should be no exception. But our rental market is broken. Too many renters find that their homes are unsafe, unhealthy, unaffordable and insecure and their existing rights are poorly enforced. This year the government will review tenancy laws, giving us a once-in-a-decade opportunity to call for the reforms renters need. To seize this moment, Renters United has developed a Plan to Fix Renting. Last year we heard from over 600 renters who shared their experiences in the People’s Review of Renting (rentingreview.nz). We have listened to their stories and consulted experts to develop 36 recommendations that will make life better for renters. The Plan proposes solutions in four areas: 1) Stable homes, so renters can feel secure ➡️ We recommend an end to no-fault evictions and a shift to indefinite tenancies as the norm. ➡️ We also recommend that renters be allowed to keep pets and make their house a home through reasonable changes – like hanging pictures on the wall. 2) Fair rent, so homes are affordable ➡️ We recommend rent be increased only once per year and by no more than the Consumer Price Index in the preceding 12 months. 3) Safe and healthy homes, so renters live healthy lives ➡️ We recommend that every home be required to comply with the He Kainga Oranga rental Warrant of Fitness, enforced by local councils. 4) Meaningful enforcement, so renters can stand up for their rights. ➡️ We recommend reforms to the Tenancy Tribunal, funding of tenant advocacy services, and licensing and regulation of all property managers. Read the full Plan at fixrenting.org.nz. We call on the Housing Minister to implement the Plan so we can fix renting. By signing this petition, you agree to be contacted by Renters United and ActionStation about this and similar campaigns. You can opt out at anytime. If you’d like to join the campaign by joining regular online meet-ups or organising renters near you, contact [email protected].

Children today are less active and more sedentary than previous generations having limited opportunities to spend regular time in nature. With parent’s busy lives and our children spending more time in childcare centres than ever before, they do not get to experience the same nature-based play opportunities that their parents and grandparents experienced. This is having a detrimental effect on our children. We are seeing children becoming weaker, less resilient and less imaginative. Younger and younger they are suffering from mental health problems, obesity, oral language developmental problems, anxiety and stress. There is a movement happening in New Zealand right now as parents and educators recognise the benefits that nature has to offer and visibly see the incredible changes it makes in the lives of their tamariki. There are so many benefits [1] [2] that nature play can offer including: • Reducing stress • Improving social relations • Enhanced cognitive abilities • It supports creativity and problem solving • Increased physical activity, sensory and motor development • Improved academic performance including oral language, decision making and negotiation skills. A HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT In the early years of life, play, particularly free, unstructured and outdoors is essential for healthy brain development, socio-emotional development and healthy musculoskeletal and sensory systems. It is far more important than direct instruction. Nature can not only heal our children it can build confidence, resilience and is beneficial for their mana atua and overall kotahitanga. IMPORTANCE OF RISKY PLAY It provides them with age appropriate risky play opportunities which allow children to understand their own limitations, develop their problem-solving skills and teaches them to overcome fears and anxieties. CREATING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE Creating a play experience outside on a regular basis will not only educate our children about where their curiosity may take them, it also feeds a deeper connection to our natural environment. Instilling these connections in this new generation is of most importance to our Kaitiakitanga and environmental sustainability. FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR TAMARIKI In other parts of the world, full time nature education programmes are well established in ECE. These countries include Sweden, Holland, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, England, Scotland, Wales, America and Australia. They are often called forest kindergartens. Please sign this petition for our children and grandchildren to help give them the option of full time nature-based education in New Zealand. The benefits are not just immediate but long term and with the early years being a critical time for brain development, supported nature-based play is a must for New Zealand. [1] http://www.doc.govt.nz/Documents/getting-involved/students-and-teachers/benefits-of-connecting-children-with-nature.pdf [2] https://naturalearning.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Benefits-of-Connecting-Children-with-Nature_InfoSheet.pdf PETITION UPDATE 5th July 2019 On Tuesday 25th June at 1pm a group of over 50 nature educators and petition supports including tamariki congregated on the steps of parliament to present the petition to MP's. Nikki Kaye received the petition alongside Ruth Dyson, Chloe Swarbrick, Nicola Willis, Harete Hipango, Ron Mark, Dan Bidois, The Deputy Prime Minster Winston Peters and more! It was such a special day and made evermore vibrant with the tamariki being present. Celia Hogan as the petition organiser introduced the petition and spoke on behalf of all those who signed and supported it, then 8 year old Kannika Smith gave a speech talking about her time as a preschooler in a nature excursion programme and how much she would love to see this available for all children in New Zealand. Kannika, supported by all the tamariki presented Nikki Kaye with a beautiful kete which contained the petition. Nikki Kaye accepted it on behalf of National, Labour, Green, New Zealand First and the Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters. MEDIA COVERAGE OF THE PETITION 2019: https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/nearly-6000-signature-strong-petition-urging-government-allow-outdoor-bush-kindies-presented-parliament?fbclid=IwAR2j67jE_6-SzpJq77U4Bny10_5QkyhmWpUVLwLKP-qH4N7horgJRR_KPXE https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/petition-asking-rule-change-allow-bush-kindies-breaks-5000-mark https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/113748799/red-zone-could-be-home-to-christchurchs-first-bush-kindy-if-parliament-backs-petition?fbclid=IwAR319cXLkojFcyjPXmHQyeTb9FX5SGctLsXPW3EJSUImxviB498ddIcHGLY https://embed.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/afternoons/audio/2018701241/celia-hogan-bush-kindergarten-petition-presented-to-parliament https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/petition-calls-kids-have-access-full-time-nature-based-childcare?fbclid=IwAR3n0-h3A-fGzDBMtXYqs_dU-5xhhaDrV67MJgxNdiTCnZIgj7w7uAfZOtk MEDIA COVERAGE FROM 2018: News Paper Article: https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/105632188/wading-through-red-tape-and-cotton-wool-to-enable-naturebased-kindergartens TV Interiew - The Project: https://www.facebook.com/TheProjectNZ/videos/1295811877222129 Radio Interview with Jesse Muligan: https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/afternoons/audio/2018657544/bush-kindergartens-changing-the-way-kids-play Radio Interview with Mike Hosking: http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/celia-hogan-many-parents-want-outdoor-kindys/

Dominion Road is both a route AND a destination for people on bikes. Now, light rail is on the way – but with no clear plan for keeping bikes in the picture. That's a worry, because the potential is huge. So let's raise our voices to make it happen! 👧 Hundreds of people already bike along Dominion Road every day. Imagine thousands more of us on bikes. Kids biking to school. Residents going to the shops. Visitors and tourists exploring this iconic boulevard and the lively neighbourhoods along the route. 🚈 Light rail projects are a once-in-a-lifetime 'big dig", the perfect opportunity to future-proof major transport arteries. We won’t get another chance to do this for many decades. Cities around the world successfully combine light rail and bikeways to boost public transport AND bike travel. Auckland can, too! 🚲 Bikeways are the perfect combo with light rail. Everyone’s public transport journey starts and ends at a different point – and bikes expand easy access to stations from a few hundred metres on foot to a few kilometres on wheels. 🛍️ Bikeways on Dominion Road will bring more bike trips to and through the town centres, helping local shops thrive and grow. ♻️ Light rail is about creating car-free and carbon-free travel options for everyone along the route. Why compromise the environmental benefits of the project by leaving bikes out of the design? ✅ This is also a golden opportunity to solve the ‘Bike Bermuda Triangle’: the absence of safe north-south bike routes through the isthmus. Bridging this gap is as vital to a strategic bike network as Skypath. 📣 With tens of thousands of Aucklanders of all ages taking to cycling each year, adding great bikeways to light rail on this key route is smart, sustainable and strategic. This is a pivotal moment in the life of our city. Please join our call for bikeways as the key to making light rail truly transformational for Auckland! Check out Bike Auckland's design suggestions here: https://www.bikeauckland.org.nz/light-rail-isthmus-room-bikes-bike-akl-proposal/ And see an overview of the light rail project here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKdybt7F4os

The Sentencing and Parole Act 2002 established the Three Strikes Law which passed in 2010. The Three Strikes Law consists of three stages where the penalty increases for reoffences. Section 86A under The Sentencing and Parole Act 2002 states the different offences at each of these three stages. (Sentencing and Parole Act 2002, Section 86A http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2002/0009/latest/DLM3023002.html). This issue is important to us because we feel that the Three Strikes Law is ineffective. Overpopulation in prisons arises from different factors, and in New Zealand we believe that the Three Strikes Law doesn't fulfil the intention it needs to meet. It contributes to the growing prison population. (http://www.corrections.govt.nz/resources/research_and_statistics/quarterly_prison_statistics/previous_years_prison_statistics/ps-september-2011.html). The purpose of the Three Strikes Law was to address reoffending however it hasn't been effective. Minister of Justice Andrew Little proposed a review of the law to the Cabinet in November 2017, and has been blocked since. Together we can encourage MPs to look at the evidence and consider more the impact our current system is having on individuals, family and society. Sign and show your support for a compassionate justice system!

Because those young women can sing! But not only that. Tiresa, Rosetta and Anastasia are young people from Porirua who will be able to represent us all on the national stage at one of the biggest sporting events this year. They can show the strength, diversity and real-ness of our young people. Who usually gets to decide who represents us? Just imagine, this could become one of *those* stories that captures the public mood. Where we're able, through our signatures, infiltrate the height of a professional sporting event (and all the pageantry that goes with an All Blacks test match) with raw, talented and classy people like these 3 young singers. And this isn't to dis' the professional singers that NZ Rugby usually use at test matches. It's a chance for NZ Rugby to show its community-minded side, and to give an opportunity for these young, talented school students from Porirua to shine on a global stage - a real authentic voice of young New Zealand. Represent! "The richness and beauty that's in their voices is part of the richness and beauty of this community." - Porirua College principal Ragne Maxwell Check them out: https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/2018651010/porirua-students-version-of-nz-national-anthem-goes-viral Porirua teens say key to good anthem is 'sing it with pride', Stuff, 28 June: https://bit.ly/2tAEXtC