Health / Government Cheese taken from Putaruru landfill reportedly resold; Food Safety warns against eating it New Zealand Food Safety is investigating after Over The Moon cheeses dumped at Putaruru landfill were retrieved and offered for sale without refrigeration.
Government / Health Food safety officials bust Christmas myths, warn on shellfish toxins and raw milk risks New Zealand Food Safety says don’t trust your nose on leftovers, keep defrosting out of the danger zone, and check biotoxin alerts before gathering shellfish.
Government / Health Government puts $848,000 into summer boat safety; kids’ lifejacket rule flagged Maritime NZ will fund local education and targeted compliance checks, while ministers point to a Member’s Bill to require lifejackets for young children.
Government / Health WorkSafe flags rising summer workloads in pre-holiday note The regulator signals seasonal pressure as summer sets in, with further detail yet to come.
Health / Government Government adds 31 specialist mental health beds at Manor Park to ease ED strain The new capacity spans long-term complex care and psychogeriatric support, with officials linking the move to Hutt and Capital & Coast’s six-hour ED target.
Health / Government HealthCERT updates auditing handbook, revises scope for partial provisional audits The Ministry has refreshed guidance for Designated Auditing Agencies and is asking auditors and providers to review the changes.
Health / New Zealand Safeswim adds 16 sites, expanding real-time swim advice to 163 Auckland locations The council’s beach safety network now updates every 15 minutes across more of the region, while long‑term warnings remain at Awana Stream and Jenkins Bay.
Health / New Zealand Pharmac drops plan to remove low-ranked medicines from funding list after feedback The medicines agency will keep applications on the Options for Investment list and says a broader process review is underway.
Health / Government Mental health access lifts across targets; ED waits still lag despite gains Quarterly data shows faster access to primary and specialist support and shorter ED stays year‑on‑year, but only eight of 20 districts met the ED benchmark.
Health / Government Winter strikes cancelled 13,500 procedures and appointments; key health measures still improved, minister says The July–September quarter saw year-on-year gains in child immunisation and cancer treatment timeliness, while ED and elective wait-time measures also edged up.
Health / Government Forensic nursing nearly fully staffed after Section 99 review; Māori mental health service still to come The Director of Mental Health says Canterbury – Waitaha has made visible progress since August’s inspection, with more checks set for 2026 and key gaps still to be addressed.
Government / Health WorkSafe consolidates licence rules for specified explosive substances The regulator has published a single, updated Safe Work Instrument setting out how Controlled Substance Licence requirements apply to certain Class 1 materials.
