On Wednesday, the final report from the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care was […] The post Royal Commission’s Report into Abuse in State Care – Expert Reaction appeared first on Science Media Centre ..read more

Climate Change Minister Simon Watts released the Government’s new climate strategy this morning.  The strategy outlines five ‘core pillars’ to tackle the impacts of climate change and prepare for future effects, which includes infrastructure, clean energy, and climate innovation, among others. The SMC asked experts to comment on: 1. The overall strategy 2. Climate innovation 3. Climate adaptation Professor Bronwyn Hayward, Political Science, University of Canterbury, comments: “The New Zealand Coalition Government has just released its Climate strategy – like ..read more

Sea surface temperatures around Aotearoa in 2022 and 2023 were the hottest ever recorded, according to new data from Stats NZ.  Since 1982, oceanic sea-surface temperatures have increased by up to 1.05°C, and coastal sea-surface temperatures by up to 1.35°C. The new data also cover marine heatwaves, finding the Western North Island region experienced heatwave conditions for 89 percent of the year, the highest among the nine coastal regions measured. A second Stats NZ dataset found that the amount of phytoplankton has tended to decrease in our northern waters ..read more

Associate Professor Siouxsie Wiles‘ employer breached its contractual obligations to protect her health and safety in the wake of harassment she experienced as a result of her work, an Employment Court judgment today has found. The long-awaited judgment comes around two-and-a-half years after she and then University of Auckland employee Professor Shaun Hendy initially filed their claim with the Employment Relations Authority in January 2022. Dr Wiles alleged the university failed to protect her from a “tsunami of threats” she received for her public commentary on the Covid ..read more

Pharmac will receive an additional $604 million over four years to fund or widen access to more medicines, including up to 26 cancer treatments. The funding will also cover medicines for other conditions, totalling up to an estimated 54 new or widened access medicines. The next step for Pharmac involves working through the medicines on its Options for Investment (OFI) list to determine which medicines to progress. It will then begin negotiating with suppliers, and consulting publicly. The SMC asked experts to comment. Professor Paula Lorgelly, Professor of Health Economics, University of Auckl ..read more

The terms of reference for the review of the earthquake-prone building system were released yesterday. The earthquake-prone building system aims to manage risk by requiring earthquake-prone buildings to be remediated before set timeframes. The review will consider questions around how to measure and mitigate risk, implementation and technical matters, finance and funding challenges, regulatory responses, and timeframes. The SMC asked local experts to comment. Professor John Tookey, School of Future Environments, AUT, comments: “This review of earthquake prone buildings and the status of remedi ..read more

There have been 155 cases of whooping cough so far in 2024, compared with 141 cases in all of 2023. Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a highly contagious respiratory disease which is particularly dangerous for babies. The Institute of Environmental Science and Resarch (ESR) reported 71 cases in May, the highest number in over four years. The SMC asked experts to comment.  Dr Nikki Turner, Medical Director, Immunisation Advisory Centre (IMAC), comments: “Pertussis (whooping cough) rates are on the rise in New Zealand. “Pertussis is always present in our commun ..read more

Nine finalists have emerged from 58 submissions for the inaugural award ceremony. We have been blown away by the calibre of the work nominated, including magazine features, television news, podcasts, digital interactives, videos and online news. Here are the finalists for the established and emerging journalist categories: Established journalist: Chewing the Facts: Going under the knife  – Sasha Borissenko, NZME Sasha’s podcast Chewing the Facts busts popular myths about fatness, and in Episode 5 she sinks her teeth into weight loss surgery. One of the nominators said the series has ga ..read more

A hybrid working schedule may improve staff retention without dampening performance or the chance of getting promoted, according to a randomised trial at a Chinese company. More than 1600 employees were randomly assigned to work either three or five days in the office per week over the course of six months. Quit rates lowered by a third and work satisfaction scores increased in the hybrid work group. The US-Chinese research team found no difference between the groups when it came to getting promoted. The SMC asked experts to comment. Dr Paula O’Kane, Otago Business School, University of Otago ..read more

Testing of nearly 19,000 wild birds over 16 years has never detected highly pathogenic bird flu in Aotearoa New Zealand. A study used MPI surveillance data from 2004-2020 to show that NZ’s resident ducks tend to be the main carriers of low pathogenic avian influenza. There was only limited evidence of flu virus in migratory birds, suggesting there has previously been a low risk of severe outbreak, however the study authors say this could change as new strains emerge. The SMC asked experts to comment: Anastasia Chernyavtseva, Biosecurity New Zealand’s virology team manager, comments: “This lon ..read more