Update

Update

Asbestos Find in Former Quarantine Facility

MAF is working with DoC to set up a register of MAFQS staff who have worked on Matiu/Somes Island, following the discovery of asbestos on the Island. Asbestos flakes were found in late April in the cement roofs of five of the former animal quarantine buildings. The Island, located in Wellington Harbour, was home to quarantine facilities from 1908 to 1995. It is now administered by DoC.

The health risk to MAF employees is deemed to be low, given that the buildings only recently started to deteriorate. The register will enable HR to keep current and ex-staff in the loop. DoC is currently undertaking environmental and health risk evaluations.

If you have worked on Matiu/Somes Island, please register your name with Christine Newson, MAF Safety & Wellbeing Co-ordinator on (04) 470 2770, or email christine.newson@maf.govt.nz If you have any contact details of past employees, please pass them on to Christine. More information about asbestos on Matiu/Somes Island can be found on the DoC website - www.doc.govt.nz - Information on asbestos can also be found on the OSH website - www.osh.dol.govt.nz

Birth Rates for Older Women Continue to Rise

Birth rates for NZ women aged 30 years and over have increased over the last decade, according to Statistics NZ. In the March 2005 year, women aged 30-34 years had the highest fertility rate (119 births per 1,000 women), up from 106 births per 1,000 in 1995. In contrast, the fertility rate for women aged under 30 has dropped. The largest fertility decrease occurred among women aged 20-24 years; down 17 percent, from 84 per 1,000 in 1995 to 70 per 1,000 in 2005.

The median age (half are younger, and half older, than this age) of NZ women giving birth is now 30 years, compared with 28 years in 1995, and 25 years in 1975. The median age of women giving birth to their first child was 28 years in the year ended March 2005.

Annual birth rates for the March 2005 year suggest that NZ women average 2.0 births per woman. This is below the level required for a population to replace itself without migration (2.1 births per woman). Sub-replacement fertility is common among developed countries, including France (1.9 births per woman), Australia (1.8), the Netherlands, England and Wales, and Sweden (all 1.7). Some countries, notably Italy and Spain, have recorded very low fertility levels in recent years (fewer than 1.3 births per woman). The United States' total fertility rate has been similar to NZ's in recent years.

There were 57,630 live births registered in NZ in the March 2005 year, 1.8 percent higher than the annual average over the last decade (56,630). During the March 2005 year, births of 29,600 boys and 28,030 girls were registered.

Deaths registered in the March 2005 year totalled 28,240, compared with 28,200 in the March 2004 year. The NZ abridged life table for 2001-2003 indicates that a newborn girl can expect to live, on average, 81.2 years, and a newborn boy 76.7 years. These represent gains of 1.5 years for females and 2.3 years for males since 1995-1997.

The infant (under one year of age) mortality rate has dropped over the last decade, from 7.3 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1995 to 5.8 per 1,000 in the March 2005 year.

The natural increase of population (excess of births over deaths) was 29,380 in the March 2005 year, up 710 (2.5 percent) on the year ended March 2004. Natural increase accounted for 74 percent of the population growth during the March 2005 year, and net migration the remaining 26 percent.

Thanks to Statistics NZ

Marriages and Divorces: Year Ended December 2004

Half of all women who married for the first time in the December 2004 year were aged 28.1 years or over. This is about two and one-half years older than those who married for the first time in 1994. The median age of men who married for the first time has risen by a similar margin, from 27.5 years in 1994 to 29.9 years in 2004. Among all marriages (first marriages and remarriages) the median age at marriage is now 30.2 years for women and 32.3 years for men, up from 27.3 and 29.7 years, respectively, in 1994.

There were 21,000 marriages registered in NZ in the year ended December 2004. Over the last decade the annual average number of marriages has been around 20,600. This compares with an annual average of 24,900 during the period 1965-1974.

The general marriage rate (number of marriages per 1,000 not-married population aged 16 years and over) remained stable at 14.7 per 1,000 during 2001-2003 but dropped to 13.9 in 2004. The latest rate is less than a third of the peak level of 45.5 per 1,000 recorded in 1971. Factors that have contributed to the low marriage rate include the growth in de facto unions, a general trend towards delayed marriage and an increasing number of NZers remaining single. The proportion of marriages where one or both partners had previously been married has remained stable at around 36 percent over the last decade.

In 2004, a total of 10,600 marriage dissolution orders were granted by family courts - up 1 percent on the number recorded in 2003 (10,500). The divorce rate (number of divorces per 1,000 estimated existing marriages) was 13.2 in 2004, similar to 2003 (13.1) and up from 1994 (11.9 per 1,000). NZ's divorce rate is comparable with Australia (13.1 in 2001) and England and Wales (14.0 in 2003).

One-quarter of all divorces in 2004 were to couples who had been married 5 to 9 years. The median duration of marriages ending in divorce in 2004 was 13.2 years compared with 12.4 years in 1994. Analysis shows that one-third of NZers who married in 1979 had divorced before their silver wedding anniversary (25 years).

Thanks to Statistics NZ

NZ's World Competitiveness Improves

NZ has improved its international rating two places to 16th on the just released world competitiveness scoreboard. And the gap between NZ and Australia has shortened dramatically, with Australia slipping from 4th to 9th place on the 60-country survey. The US topped the poll again this year, with Hong Kong improving from 6th to 2nd place and Singapore slipping from 2nd to 3rd. Bottom of the list are Venezuela (60), Indonesia (59) and Argentina at 58. The 2005 IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook ranks 60 countries on their ability to "create and maintain an environment that sustains the competitiveness of enterprise".

Climate Summary: May 2005

  • Rainfall: Rainfall was at least 250 percent of normal in Bay of Plenty. It was also very wet in Coromandel and parts of Hawke's Bay with totals of at least 200 percent of normal. Rainfall was also above normal in Auckland, Waikato, Taranaki, Gisborne, Wellington, Marlborough, and parts of Northland and north Canterbury. Totals were less than 75 percent of normal in parts of Buller and Otago.
  • Temperature: May was very much warmer than usual, with mean temperatures 1.0 to 1.5°C above average over much of the North Island, as well as much of Marlborough and Nelson. The largest anomalies were in the central North Island, where mean temperatures were about 2.5°C above average. Temperatures were also above average in Buller, Westland, and north Canterbury. They were below average along the south Canterbury/Otago coast.
  • Sunshine: Sunshine hours were well average in inland south Canterbury and coastal areas of both Southland and Otago. However, they were about 80 percent of average in Waikato, King Country. It was also sunny in coastal Otago. Totals were below average in Waikato, King Country, along the Kapiti Coast, and in West Otago.
  • Main centres: Dunedin was the driest, and Auckland the warmest. Rainfall was below average in Dunedin, but above average in the three other main centres. Temperatures were above average in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch, and below average in Dunedin. Sunshine hours were above average in Dunedin and near average in the other main centres.

Thanks to NIWA

Younger Babies Can Now Get MeNZB Vaccine Protection

All babies aged from six weeks are now eligible for the MeNZB vaccine to help protect them against meningococcal disease. The risk of a child under the age of one year catching meningococcal disease is 10 times greater than the national average.

The Meningococcal B Immunisation Programme is currently being rolled out across NZ and once it starts in a district all children and young people aged from six weeks up to 20 years will now be eligible. The minimum age previously was six months.

To date, about 700,000 doses of the MeNZB vaccine have been given. Everyone who receives the vaccine needs three doses spaced about six weeks apart. Since 1991, meningococcal disease has killed 229 people and affected more than 5700 in NZ, leaving many survivors with amputated limbs and other injuries.

The Ministry of Health urges people to vaccinate their children and at the same time stay vigilant for signs and symptoms of meningococcal disease, as no vaccine is 100 percent effective and there are other strains of the disease.

Young People Becoming Diabetic

The National Diabetes Research Centre says it's of "major concern" that more and more young people in NZ are becoming diabetic. The centre says the change is due to an inappropriate lifestyle and poor diet. The increased incidence of type-two diabetes almost perfectly parallels the increased rates of people being overweight and obese.

Thanks to "NewsRoom"

Therapeutics Products Joint Committee

Australia and NZ have agreed to set up a joint committee to oversee standards for therapeutic products. The joint regulatory agency will replace Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and the NZ Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority (Medsafe). Professor Stella O'Donnell from Australia will chair the new committee with Professor Ian Tucker from NZ as Deputy Chair.

New Rural Leadership Programme

A new Rural Leadership Development Programme (RLDP) is designed for people involved in rural life and agribusiness. It builds on things like communication and presentation skills, strategic planning and leadership. The RLDP has grown out of the NZ Young Farmers' leadership development programme, which was initiated two years ago. The project was developed and the first two years of courses were run with money from MAF's Sustainable Farming Fund. The Ministry of Education will now fund the programme, with Taratahi Agriculture Training Centre as the training provider. An advisory board comprising members from NZ Young Farmers, Taratahi and the Agriculture Training Organisation (AgITO) will run it.

Funding for Enterprising Communities

Communities wanting to establish community employment activities can now get funding through new Work and Income grants. These grants replace the Community Employment grants available from the Department of Labour.

In September 2004 the government announced it was refocusing its involvement in community employment activities. The Department of Labour's Community Employment Group was disestablished and new community employment functions created the MSD, the Department of Labour and Te Puni Kokiri. One of MSD's new functions involves providing support and investment for community-based employment activities through the new grants. Each Work and Income regional Office now has a team of advisors responsible for administering the new grants.

The grants aim to help community organisations implement projects that provide skills or opportunities for people who are finding it hard to get jobs. The funders are looking for projects that target the priority groups identified in the Work and Income regional plan for that area. These plans are published annually and are available at www.workandincome.govt.nz. Project activities might involve creating work opportunities through a local asset or a community owned business, or helping people access training that will meet local skills gaps. Organisations wanting to apply for a grant should start by visiting the Work and Income website, or calling their nearest Work and Income regional office.

MSD News April 2005

Heartland Services Very Popular

Heartland Service centres have received near-unanimous approval according to a new customer satisfaction survey carried out by Colmar Brunton. The survey shows 96 percent of members of the public are satisfied with their visits to Heartland Service centres with 75 percent saying they were "very satisfied." Other highlights from the satisfaction survey included:

  • 95 percent of the public who have visited a centre believe Heartland Services has improved their access to government services;
  • 89 percent of community organisations report satisfaction with Heartland Services;
  • 97 percent public satisfaction with the location of the centres; and
  • 95 percent satisfaction with the friendliness of staff.

Heartland Service centres have been established in 30 locations across the country to help connect rural NZers to government services. The centres provide a "one-stop shop" for a range of agencies including Housing NZ, ACC, Career Services and Work and Income.

Girls Still Further Ahead: NCEA Results

Results from last year's NCEA show girls are easily outperforming boys in languages, the arts and social sciences. They are also stretching ahead, although only slightly, in maths and science subjects. Only in technology do boys retain the upper hand.

Girls were more likely to achieve qualifications than boys in all three levels of the NCEA. Of 3.2 million credits handed out last year, 1.7 million went to girls and 1.5 million went to boys. Results from externally assessed exams at all three levels showed girls were more likely to be awarded "achieve", "merit" or "excellence".

The results also show that more students are leaving school with a qualification. School leavers with no qualification dropped from 15.3 percent in 2003 to 13 percent in 2004. Maori school leavers with no qualification dropped 4.2 percentage points and Pacific Island students 4.4 percentage points, although both groups still have overall higher rates of school leavers with no qualifications.

Improved New Plant Access to NZ

NZ uses post-entry quarantine (PEQ) to ensure new genetic material is imported in a way that protects agriculture and horticulture industries and the environment from any pests and diseases that may be inadvertently imported at the same time. Currently, however, gaps in level 3 (that is, the high-security) plant PEQ services mean that NZers cannot bring in a wide range of high-value plant genetic material. The main problem is that nobody in NZ currently has the resource to provide the full range of highly specialist diagnostic services required for plant PEQ.

In response to this, the Budget includes funding for MAF's National Plant Pest Reference Laboratory in Auckland to offer the critical PEQ diagnostic services for levels 1, 2, and 3 plant post-entry quarantine that private businesses have been unable to provide. The allocation is for $356,000 (excluding GST) in the 2005/06 financial year, and $889,000 (excluding GST) in subsequent financial years.

Funding For Flora and Fauna Collections

Landcare Research will receive $4.75 million per year for 12 years from the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology (FRST), as part of the Foundation's reinvestment in natural ecosystems. The funding comes on-stream from July.

Landcare Research holds NZ's largest collections of our flora and fauna. These include the 6.5 million specimens in the NZ Arthropod Collection and 70,000 specimens in the NZ Fungal Herbarium at Tamaki. The Allan Herbarium is by far the largest plant herbarium in NZ, with well over half a million specimens. These collections and others are supported by many databases, which are increasingly becoming computerised and accessible online.

The collections and databases are extremely to NZ. Accurate and timely descriptions and identifications of plants, insects and animals are essential for biodiversity management, biosecurity, biotechnology and maintaining knowledge of species of historical and medicinal importance to Maori. The funding will also help increase what we know about our flora and fauna. Only about 15 percent of NZ's insects have been adequately described so far, less than a third of fungi, and about 60 percent of our higher native plants.

Sustainable Farming Fund (SFF) Now "Core Output"

New funding certainty means the SFF has moved to being a core output of MAF. In political-speak, the fund has been "baselined" - that is, it's part of the core funding of Vote Agriculture and Forestry now. This means it should have a much more secure future, with its funding assured, rather than funding being allocated specifically every few years. In this year's Budget, SFF is set to receive $8.444 million in the 2006/07 and 2007/08 financial years, and $9.422 million in the 2008/09 financial year (all figures GST exclusive).

Review: Regulation of Non-bank Financial Products and Providers

The aim of the review is to improve the efficiency of financial markets by ensuring that there is an effective system for regulating products and providers. The review will look at the current regulation of superannuation, insurance, managed fund products, and securities offerings. It will also look at the regulation of non-bank providers such as insurance companies, credit unions, friendly societies, building societies, finance companies and industrial and provident societies. It will seek to identify areas where existing arrangements could be improved. The review will also look at how NZ's non-bank regulation takes account of international developments and any appropriate coordination opportunities with Australia.

For more information, visit www.med.govt.nz

Global Slavery/ Forced Labour Figures

At least 12.3 million people worldwide work as slaves or in other forms of forced labour, according to a new International Labour Organization (ILO) report. The report said that 2.5 million people were in forced labour as a result of cross-border trafficking, with 1.2 million of them in the sex trade. Asia has 9.5 million forced labourers, most of them forced into bonded labour because of debts, especially in Pakistan and India.

The report, "A Global Alliance Against Forced Labour," estimates that profits from trafficked forced labour totalled US$32 billion a year, or US$13,000 per trafficked worker. Profits from forced commercial sexual exploitation totalled US$27.8 billion annually, or US$23,000 per worker.

The report reckons there were 360,000 forced labourers in industrialised nations and 210,000 in the former Communist countries of Europe. In the industrialised countries, the report said, three-quarters of the forced labourers are in the sex trade, while the others are in work like apparel sweatshops. The report said there were 1.3 million forced labourers in Latin America and the Caribbean, 660,000 in sub-Saharan Africa and 260,000 in the Middle East and North Africa. Ninety-eight percent of forced labourers working in sexual activities are women and girls, the report said, while women and girls account for 56% of non-sexual forced labour.

Previous PageTable Of ContentsNext Page

Contact for Enquiries

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Pastoral House
25 The Terrace
PO Box 2526, Wellington

Tel: 0800 00 83 33
Fax: +64 4 894 0720
Contact this person

 
Print this page Print this page