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Science Media Centre NZ
Our aim is to promote accurate, evidence-based reporting on science and technology by helping the media work more closely with the scientific community.
The Science Media Centre is New Zealand's only trusted, independent source of information for the media on all issues related to science. Thousands of news stories providing context from and quoting New Zealand researchers have been published as a direct result of our work.
Science Media Centre NZ - Latest News [Page 3]
Rules For Earthquake-Prone Buildings Under Review – Expert Reaction
Friday, 21 June 2024, 1:36 pm | Science Media Centre
The earthquake-prone building system aims to manage risk by requiring earthquake-prone buildings to be remediated before set timeframes. More >>
Standardised Testing In New Zealand Schools – Expert Q&A
Wednesday, 19 June 2024, 2:57 pm | Science Media Centre
An advisory group for the Minister of Education recommends that students take “checkpoint” tests every year to assess their progress in maths and reading. More >>
Farming To Remain Outside NZ's Emissions Trading Scheme - Expert Reaction
Tuesday, 11 June 2024, 4:48 pm | Science Media Centre
The coalition government has announced greenhouse gases from agriculture will not be covered in the country's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) next year. More >>
Budget 2024 And The Future Of NZ’s Science Sector – Expert Reaction
Friday, 31 May 2024, 5:22 pm | Science Media Centre
Science has been notably absent from the coalition government’s messaging around their first budget. More >>
New Zealand Labs Could Soon Start Mass-producing “Dairy-identical” Proteins Without Using Cows.
Thursday, 16 May 2024, 12:10 pm | Science Media Centre
In this case, yeasts are genetically modified so that when they are fermented they produce a protein like whey or casein—with any GM organisms harvested out of the final product. More >>
Kina Choking Northland Reefs – Expert Reaction
Friday, 10 May 2024, 12:18 pm | Science Media Centre
The proposals include changes the recreational daily bag limits for kina, and a special permit to enable the removal of sea urchins for the management or prevention of barrens. More >>
How Fast-track Consenting Might Impact The Environment – Expert Reaction
Wednesday, 17 April 2024, 4:32 pm | Science Media Centre
Submissions on the Fast-track Approvals Bill close at the end of Friday. The law would allow major infrastructure projects to bypass lengthy resource consenting processes – being assessed instead by an expert panel , with Ministers ultimately having ... More >>
Climate Commission Draft Advice On Emissions Budgets And Targets – Expert Reaction
Tuesday, 9 April 2024, 4:20 pm | Science Media Centre
The Climate Commission is now welcoming public feedback on its draft advice around New Zealand’s emissions budgets and targets. The draft advice reviews our 2050 net-zero carbon emissions target, as well as whether the 2050 target should also ... More >>
Govt To Loosen Rules On Overseas Building Products – Expert Reaction
Saturday, 6 April 2024, 6:30 am | Science Media Centre
The changes deal with recognising certain overseas building product standards and certification schemes. More >>
Govt Signals Pause On Significant Natural Areas – Expert Reaction
Friday, 15 March 2024, 10:56 am | Science Media Centre
The government is signalling councils don't need to comply with their legal obligations around Significant Natural Areas, i.e., mapping out areas with threatened native plants or wildlife for protection. While SNAs were first introduced in 1991, last ... More >>
Black Box To Be Inspected After LATAM Flight Incident – Expert Reaction
Wednesday, 13 March 2024, 2:57 pm | Science Media Centre
Authorities are investigating the black box of a plane that plummeted from the skies before landing in Auckland on Monday. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, a LATAM flight starting from Sydney, suddenly lost altitude over the Tasman Sea, injuring 50 passengers as ... More >>
Are We Overmedicalising Menopause? – Expert Reaction
Wednesday, 6 March 2024, 12:26 pm | Science Media Centre
Australian experts warn about the overmedicalisation of menopause and call for a new approach to how society views menopause and supports women as they age, in a new series of papers published today in The Lancet. The authors say a new approach ... More >>
Fast-track Consenting Regime For Infrastructure And Development – Expert Reaction
Wednesday, 6 March 2024, 12:24 pm | Science Media Centre
The government will soon introduce a standalone Act to allow major infrastructure projects to bypass lengthy resource consenting processes. The fast-track regime is the next step of the coalition government’s RMA reform agenda. A full replacement ... More >>
Road Safety The Focus At Northland Fieldays 2024
Wednesday, 6 March 2024, 12:23 pm | Science Media Centre
Last week, representatives from the Northland Transportation Alliance, Auckland Transport, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA), NZ Police, ACC, Tasman District Council, and Te Manatū Waka Ministry of Transport took to Dargaville to talk to ... More >>
Ultra-processed Foods Linked To 32 Health Issues – Expert Reaction
Thursday, 29 February 2024, 3:14 pm | Science Media Centre
A new research review reports links between greater consumption of ultra-processed foods and an increased risk of 32 damaging health outcomes, with the most convincing evidence pointing to higher risks of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and ... More >>
Bird Flu Arrives In Mainland Antarctica - Expert Reaction
Wednesday, 28 February 2024, 1:06 pm | Science Media Centre
The H5N1 virus continues its global spread, having recently been found for the first time ever in mainland Antarctica. Avian flu reached the wider Antarctic region in October last year when it was reported on sub-Antarctic islands. Since 2021, highly ... More >>
EPA Says ‘null Segregants’ Aren’t GMOs – Expert Reaction
Thursday, 22 February 2024, 3:01 pm | Science Media Centre
The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has just clarified that certain organisms, known as null segregants, are not considered genetically modified organisms. Null segregants are the offspring of genetically modified organisms, but do not contain ... More >>
First UN Report On The State Of The World’s Migratory Species – Expert Reaction
Thursday, 15 February 2024, 3:46 pm | Science Media Centre
A landmark UN report paints a grim picture of the state of migratory wild animals worldwide, including those that travel through New Zealand, like sharks, whales, albatross, and sea turtles. The report was launched at the meeting for the Convention ... More >>
Port Hills Fire - Expert Reaction
Thursday, 15 February 2024, 3:40 pm | Science Media Centre
Fire crews are responding to a large vegetation fire in the Port Hills near Christchurch. Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) was alerted to the fire at 2.15pm on Wednesday 14 February. The SMC asked experts to comment. Dr Nathanael ... More >>
Regulating Genetic Technologies In Aotearoa - Expert Q&A
Thursday, 15 February 2024, 3:35 pm | Science Media Centre
Dr Revel Drummond, Scientist, Plant & Food Research Ltd, comments: What implications would the shift to a new biotechnology regulator have for the legal and policy landscape around genetic technologies in NZ? "Currently, ... More >>
