Latest New Zealand Government news

Australian and NZ info commissioners highlight importance of public information

Communications & Technology

Information commissioners and ombuds from Australia and New Zealand have called on government agencies to do more to make information accessible to the public. As…

Premium
Insights and analysis

What’s the most effective way to motivate staff? Performance pay schemes are trending again, but Allan Hawke saw distorted results

By Allan Hawke

Australian Capital Territory

Allan Hawke is aware of the argument that performance pay is supposed to work in organisations where rewards constitute a significant part of total remuneration,…

Confronting the challenge of collaboration in a world obsessed with being in opposition

By Paul Porteous

Australian Capital Territory

Rather than processes, it may be the clashing of values that has reduced our tolerance for engaging alternative perspectives. Social capital, the once-lauded holy grail…

Health department wins NZ’s top public service award

By Shannon Jenkins

Health

An initiative that improves the health of low-income families with housing has taken the top gong in New Zealand’s Spirit of Service Awards.

New law gives NZ police discretion not to prosecute drug users, but to offer addiction support instead

By Max Abbott

Editors' Picks

New Zealand passed the Misuse of Drugs Amendment into law last month, giving police discretion to take a health-centred approach rather than prosecuting those in…

World Suicide Prevention Day: Australia and NZ show leadership

By Shannon Jenkins

Federal

Australian leaders have discussed suicide prevention in the wake of "alarming" new research, while the New Zealand government has announced a new Suicide Prevention Office.

Older Windows systems must be patched to avert another computer worm outbreak: ACSC

By Stephen Easton

Australian Capital Territory

The Australian Cyber Security Centre warns it is way past patching time for all users of Windows 7, Vista or XP, as well as Windows…

New Zealand launches plan to revive the health of lakes and rivers

By Troy Baisden

Editors' Picks

New Zealand’s government released a plan to reverse the decline of iconic lakes and rivers this week. It proposes higher standards for water quality, interim…

Premium
Insights and analysis

We have a collective responsibility to build environments in which children thrive. Here are five ways to work differently with families to help keep kids safe

By Annette Michaux

Australian Capital Territory

Annette Michaux and Nat Kendall-Taylor outline the five major strategies for moving forward on child protection that resulted from a major national research project involving…

Agencies see their data put to the test at GovHack

By Shannon Jenkins

Communications & Technology

This weekend, thousands of thinkers and creators from across Australia and New Zealand will solve public problems using open government data in the annual GovHack…

NZ forms agency to tackle cancer

By Shannon Jenkins

Health

The New Zealand Government has launched a Cancer Action Plan that includes establishing a new agency to make better cancer treatment more accessible for the…

Voter turnout at New Zealand local elections keeps falling, but paying people to vote could backfire

By Julia Talbot-Jones

Editors' Picks

Last week, voter enrolment for the 2019 local government elections closed in New Zealand and concerns about low voter turnout resurfaced. The concerns about low…

NZ workplace study shows more than quarter of employees feel depressed much of the time

By Tim Bentley

Community & Social

As the nature of work changes – including technological advancements, reduced job security, and blurred work/non-work boundaries – psychosocial harm is likely to increase, says…

Bungled NZ census highlights need for multiple voting options to raise Maori participation

By Maria Bargh & Arama Rata

Culture

New Zealand’s 2018 census was the first to be carried out online, but it captured only 83% of people, a response rate 9% lower than…

Premium
Case studies

New Zealand's wellbeing budget has attracted plenty of attention. Is it a new paradigm or just clever marketing?

By David Donaldson

Case studies

New Zealand's wellbeing budget promises to solve intractable social problems by focusing on "what New Zealanders value". So is it a genuine innovation or a…