The Latest Breaking News from Aotearoa New Zealand

Tuatara are returning to the mainland – but feeding the hungry reptiles could be more difficult than expected

Following the settlement of Aotearoa New Zealand, many native species were wiped from the mainland. It’s a familiar story – one that has affected species like the iconic flightless kākāpō and the tuatara, a reptile in a category all its own.

The Conversation · Oct 16, 2022

The merger of TVNZ and RNZ needs to build trust in public media – 3 things the law change must get right

With only six days left for submissions to the select committee examining the Aotearoa New Zealand Public Media Bill, it is becoming clear this crucial piece of legislation has some significant shortcomings. These will need attention before it passes into law.

The Conversation · Sep 2, 2022

New Zealand’s ‘tobacco endgame’ law will be a world first for health – here’s what the modelling shows us

With the first reading of a new bill in parliament today, Aotearoa New Zealand’s plan to be smokefree by 2025 takes another tangible step forward.

The Conversation · Jul 26, 2022

Uncovering the stories my family forgot, about a past still haunting Aotearoa New Zealand

The day my great-grandfather Andrew Gilhooly was buried at Taranaki’s Ōkato cemetery in early February 1922, Jas Higgins played the Last Post. Neither man had seen active service in the “great war” with which that ritual is most closely associated. Rather, both had served in the New Zealand wars, an…

The Conversation · Jun 14, 2022

Resurgent COVID-19, flu and other viruses are pushing New Zealand's health system to the limit – and now winter is coming

As Aotearoa New Zealand heads into the colder winter months, the pressures on our health system and staff are growing significantly.

The Conversation · May 31, 2022

Without a better plan, New Zealand risks sleepwalking into a biodiversity extinction crisis

Nature in Aotearoa New Zealand is in serious trouble. With many of our species and habitats at risk of disappearing forever, the government’s 2020 biodiversity strategy sets the scene in stark terms:

The Conversation · May 9, 2022

The pandemic’s disproportionate impact on women is derailing decades of progress on gender equality

During the global COVID-19 pandemic, women have carried much of the unpaid emotional and domestic burden of caring for their families and communities, often simultaneously holding down paid jobs, many on reduced hours or salaries.

The Conversation · Apr 21, 2022

New Zealand farmers and growers are already adapting to changing climate conditions – just not enough

This week’s major report on climate impacts, adaptation and vulnerability highlights the challenges a shifting climate presents for food- and fibre-producing regions, including Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia.

The Conversation · Mar 3, 2022

IPCC report: this decade is critical for adapting to inevitable climate change impacts and rising costs

Climate change impacts in Aotearoa New Zealand are real and future risks are high, according to the latest report released today by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

The Conversation · Feb 28, 2022

NZ's confirmed COVID case numbers are rising fast, but total infections are likely much higher – here's why

With Aotearoa New Zealand’s move into phase 3 of its response to the Omicron outbreak, new definitions and protocols for testing and isolation will mean new ways of measuring the impact of COVID-19.

The Conversation · Feb 25, 2022