Category Archives: New Zealand

New Zealands longest running soap opera, Shortland Street, celebrates 30 years on screen this week. The hospital drama was the height of television drama when I was a young person, the prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, said in 2019. Its always done the job of tracking big things happening in New Zealand society as well, and reflecting back to ourselves.

It has launched the careers of some of the countrys biggest stars: Temuera Morrison, Martin Henderson, Rose McIvor, KJ Apa, Karl Urban, to name a few. It has spawned household jokes and sayings (Youre not in Guatemala now, Dr Ropata), developed cliffhangers involving incest, murder, scuppered weddings and shocking deaths, reinvented itself time and again to stay relevant, and unquestionably become part of New Zealands cultural fabric.

We want to hear from our New Zealand readers about what place Shorty holds in your heart. Are you a superfan? What is your fondest memory, or favourite episode and why? Do you remember first watching the show, and how it has changed over the years? How would you like to see Shortland Street develop over the next 30 years?

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Reader call-out: What are your best memories of New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street? - The Guardian

The price of a New Zealand passport has risen overnight as the border opens and more Kiwis begin to travel abroad.

A New Zealand passport. (Source: istock.com)

The price rose at 12am on Wednesday, from $191 to $199. A child's passport, which lasts five years compared to an adult's 10, went up by $4 to $115.

From there, the adult passport will rise to $206 from May 25 next year, and then up to $215 from May 25 2024.

A child's passport will go up to $120 in May next year, and $125 May 2024.

Internal Affairs Minister Jan Tinetti said the rise was due to the decrease in demand caused by Covid.

"The passport system is designed to be entirely funded by passport fees, and while passport income has taken a significant hit, the fixed costs to run the service remain consistent so we have been advised a small increase is required."

"We appreciate any increase to costs at this time will pose a challenge to some families, but this outcome is the best balance between keeping the increase to a minimum and returning the passport service to full cost recovery."

The international border has re-opened in phases to various groups after being closed since early 2020 due to Covid.

It previously rose from $180 to $191 in 2019 to pay for the shortfall created by extending the passport life from five to 10 years, while a child's passport fee went up from $105 to $111.

New Zealanders have been warned recently about long waits for passports, as more than 500,000 passports expired during the border closure time period.

At the end of April the processing time had moved from 10 working days to about 22. The Government estimates it takes about one month to renew, replace or apply for a passport.

An Australian passport costs $329, a British passport costs $152, and a Canadian passport cost $191.42.

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Price of New Zealand passport rises - 1News

Young New Zealanders are leaving in droves as borders reopen and economic conditions tighten at home.

The latest data from Stats NZ found that in the year to March, annual net migration was negative, with 7,300 more people leaving than entering. That loss marks a dramatic shift from early in the pandemic when border closures and the relative safety of Covid-free New Zealand prevented many from leaving. In the year to March 2020 there was a record net gain of 91,700.

Now, many New Zealanders particularly young professionals and graduates are heading off overseas once more. Some are driven by tough economic conditions in New Zealand, which is dealing with high inflation of 6.9%, housing unaffordability, and sky-high living costs: petrol, rents, mortgage interest rates and groceries are all on the rise.

Brad Olsen, Infometrics principal economist and director, said the latest figures demonstrate just how momentous really the shift has been in New Zealands migration outcomes, changing to a net loss from 50,000-60,000 annual net gains in the years leading up to the pandemic. Its a huge reversal and the first time weve seen those negative figures since the global financial crisis, the Christchurch earthquakes and the Australian mining boom all combined in the early 2010s.

Stats NZ, the governments data and statistics agency, said the losses were driven by young adults, with a particular increase in New Zealand citizens aged 18 to 27 leaving. With unemployment already at a low of 3.2%, economists say the loss of more of the workforce via migration could create ongoing labour shortages.

The difficulty finding workers is extreme around the country you have a smaller working age population than the year before, at a time when everyone is desperately calling out for workers. [It] really just exacerbates the pressures that businesses are under, Olsen said.

In April, government documents estimated that 50,000 people would leave over the next year but that the number could swell to 125,000 if the many young people who had delayed post-graduation trips during the pandemic left too.

Asked about those projected losses, the prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, said that overseas trips were part of our history and a rite of passage for many New Zealanders, noting that she had spent time living in London. It has been part of our history as a nation to frequently have New Zealanders come and go as part of our overseas experience, building skills and talent.

Olsen said there were a mixture of contributing factors including pent-up demand from those who delayed leaving over the past two years, high living costs, housing unaffordability, and delays fully reopening New Zealands borders, which meant lower numbers of migrants coming in.

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More people leaving New Zealand than entering as young flee high cost of living - The Guardian

On the campaign trail during New Zealands 2017 election, Labour leader Jacinda Ardern talked about climate change as her generations nuclear-free moment. She went on to become prime minister, taking Labour to a second-term victory in 2020 with an outright majority, unusual in New Zealands proportional representation system.

Her preface to this weeks budget talks about making investments to secure our future and says it makes the greatest strides in climate action by any government to date.

As it turns out, these great strides are more like a tottering babys first steps. And I certainly hope that it is only New Zealand governments being referenced here. Thankfully more is being done in other jurisdictions.

The budgets climate response is headlined by an overall investment of $2.9bn over four years into a climate emergency response fund, paid for in total by expected emissions trading scheme (ETS) proceeds with nothing from elsewhere in the governments coffers.

Urgent calls from environmental groups like Greenpeace to de-intensify dairy farming, cut synthetic nitrogen fertiliser and support regenerative farming at scale have gone unheard. Agriculture produces around 50% of New Zealands carbon dioxide and methane emissions.

While some resources are allocated for research and development in the agricultural sector, agriculture itself remains outside the ETS. The sector will now benefit from a program to which it has contributed nothing.

The new fund includes a cash for clunkers program that will trial a discount for some low- to middle-income earners who trade in their old and dirty cars for lower-emissions alternatives. This initiative has perhaps created the most public interest in the climate change announcement, but what the scheme will actually look like in detail is yet to be determined. There is nothing in the emergency response fund about banning imports of petrol and diesel vehicles or of moving systematically towards free or very cheap public transport.

A good proportion of the new schemes funding goes into the creation and operation of various planning and development groups, often to carry out work that effective government and local government bodies should be leading and resourcing in the first place.

While $230m is allocated to the conversion of industrial coal boilers, there is no mention of what could or should be done about the tonnes of coal burnt daily at Huntly to help power Auckland.

There is no significant support for large-scale renewable energy projects or for urgently needed reform of the countrys privatised energy sector.

The New Zealand government talks a good game when it comes to climate change but is in fact taking the minimum action necessary to meet its obligations, whether through legislation like the Zero Carbon Act or international agreements. Current policy settings are projected to support emission reductions of 4.1% by 2025. Even the climate change minister, Green party leader James Shaw Labour is in a formal cooperation agreement with the Greens voiced anxiety that newly established emission targets do not go far enough.

When viewed through the lens of its commitment to the global effort to reduce net greenhouse emissions by 50% by 2030 and to zero by 2050, this weeks budget takes the minimum action possible.

New Zealand has a tendency to pride itself on taking a responsible role on the world stage, and on being a leader in major reforms such as womens right to vote, early adoption of welfare state programs and declaring itself nuclear-free. The fortitude and courage necessary to lead this calibre of change are not on display this week.

Given that Labour has now been in power for five years, the governments efforts are nothing short of an abrogation of our responsibility to our own land and people, to the climate-change-imperilled Pacific region and to the world.

Instead of taking on vested interests in the agriculture and corporate sectors and making accelerated and effective steps to cut emissions, New Zealand continues to take the line of least resistance in the face of this existential crisis. No nuclear-free moment to see here.

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New Zealands promised action on climate is nothing more than a tottering babys first steps - The Guardian

Australia has a new political leader at the helm after nine years governed by conservatives.

Anthony Albanese, Jacinda Ardern Photo: AFP / RNZ

Anthony Albanese will be sworn in today as the country's new prime minister, becoming the fourth Labor leader to win government from opposition since World War II.

So what does the change of hands mean for New Zealand?

Australia is much more hooked in to the United States and its desire to see security blankets wrapped around different parts of the Indo-Pacific, University of Auckland professor of politics Jennifer Curtin told Morning Report.

"We know that Anthony Albanese is heading to Tokyo for the Quad meetings with the prime ministers of Japan, India and the president of the US.

"They'll be looking for New Zealand to sort of perhaps come in behind the Quad positions and AUKUS and be a firm ally rather than what the narrative in Australia is at different times which is that New Zealand looks a little too soft on China but also a little bit reticent in defence expenditure and contributing to the security of the region."

In the coming 12 months there will be opportunities to talk more about New Zealand pulling towards the United States and away from China, inlcuding how that may be navigated, she said.

"We know that next year is the 40 year anniversary of the closer economic relations agreement between Australia and New Zealand and there will be some events and some opportunities to have some of those conversations."

There might be some complicated conversations around China, Curtin says, but there are a lot of areas for productive working relationships.

"There will be some really valuable relationships that will be built between Senator Penny Wong, who's the foreign affairs minister, and Nanaia Mahuta. They have a lot of similar interests on indigenous representation in foreign affairs and trade policy, in resetting the Pacific focus so that climate change and sustainable trade became important issues."

Anthony Albanese says he wants "no one left behind" and "no one held back" under his leadership - and New Zealanders in Australia told RNZ they hoped the new prime minister would be more empathetic towards non-citizens.

Nurse Jacqui May moved over from Aotearoa in 2016 for a pay rise, but when she was injured at work, she was ineligible for social welfare support from Centrelink - the equivalent of the Ministry of Social Development.

She hoped under the new government, all Centrelink supports would be made available to New Zealanders employed in Australia.

"It is unjust, if people are in financial hardship and then they cannot access any funds then what are they meant to do? There's enough homelessness as it is with the rental crisis and the stress."

Albanese gave her hope in his victory speech when he said: "I have shared the two principles that will a government that I lead. No one left behind because we should always look after the disadvantaged and the vulnerable. But also no one held back because we should always support aspiration and opportunity."

She said he was showing "compassion and empathy" and "Scott Morrison didn't have that".

Sydney resident Rihari Joseph (Ngti Maniapoto) hoped the new government would cut back 501 deportations, and keep families together with support networks instead.

Under Morrison's leadership, hundreds of non-citizens with criminal convictions have been forced to leave, under section 501 of the Australian Migration Act.

"We need to educate them and rehabilitate them, sending them back to New Zealand is not a positive outcome," Joseph said.

"Regardless of the errors they make in life, they're still our people."

Ex-Aucklander Christine Kennedy, who now lives in Melbourne, said the deportations were "cruelty".

"I think it's really unfair that the Australian government allows New Zealanders to work here, to pay taxes, to do everything else, and then says: 'Oh by the way, you broke the law, you can go back.'"

The Australian government estimates there are more than 650,000 New Zealand citizens living across the states and territories.

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How will the Australia-New Zealand relationship change? - RNZ

Many of the sites tried taking down the videos as they were uploaded but were overwhelmed. Facebook said it removed 1.5 million videos in the 24 hours after the incident, though many managed to evade detection. On Reddit, a post featuring the video was viewed more than one million times before it was removed. Google said the speed at which the video was shared was faster than after any tragedy it had previously seen, according to the New Zealand government report.

Over the next few days, some people began discussing ways to evade the platforms automated systems to keep the Christchurch video online. On Telegram on March 16, 2019, people who were part of a group related to white supremacy batted around ways to manipulate the video so it would not be removed, according to discussions viewed by The Times.

Just change the opening, one user wrote. Speed it up by 2x and the [expletive] cant find it.

Within days, some clips of the shooting were posted to 4chan, a fringe online message board. In July 2019, a 24-second clip of the killings also appeared on Rumble, according to The Timess review.

In the ensuing months, New Zealands government identified more than 800 variations of the original video. Officials asked Facebook, Twitter, Reddit and other sites to dedicate more resources to removing them, according to the government report.

New copies or links to the video were uploaded online whenever the Christchurch shooting came up in the news, or on anniversaries of the event. In March 2020, about a year after the shooting, nearly a dozen tweets linking to variations of the video appeared on Twitter. More videos appeared when the gunman was sentenced to life in prison in August 2020.

Other groups jumped in to pressure the tech companies to erase the video. Tech Against Terrorism, a United Nations-supported initiative that develops tech to detect extremist content, sent 59 alerts about Christchurch content to tech companies and file hosting services from December 2020 to November 2021, said Adam Hadley, the founder and director of the group. That represented about 51 percent of the right-wing terrorist content the group was trying to remove online, he said.

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Livestreams of Mass Shootings: From Buffalo to New Zealand - The New York Times

Wednesday, 25 May 2022, 6:51 pmPress Release: WWF New Zealand

New Zealands inshore fisheries and marine conservationis about to fundamentally change with the rollout of camerason boats.

Today, the Ministry for Primary Industries(MPI) announced that Spark will be the vendor to implementelectronic monitoring. This initiative will help securesustainability of our fisheries through a combination ofstate-of-the-art cameras, software, and, in a world-leadingfirst, unprecedented applications of Artificial Intelligenceand Machine Learning (AI/ML).

Spark is a new playerto this space and we are interested in seeing what they willcontribute to what has been a relatively closed market. Itgives Aotearoa a bigger chance to punch above its weight inthe technology space, and lead the Pacific towards greatersustainability and transparency in fisheries, says BubbaCook, Western & Central Pacific Tuna Programme Managerfor WWF-New Zealand.

This technology is relativelynew, represents a significant operational change in ourfisheries, and proposes to introduce a new era in fisheriesmanagement and sustainability.

We believe cameraswill not only have a huge, beneficial impact on marineconservation efforts, but its also likely to createsubstantial benefits for the industry, as well. First, itwill level the playing field and require all vessels to besubject to the same rules and regulations. Second, it givesgreater insight into the amount and type of species caughtleading to better fisheries management. Lastly, with greatertransparency and traceability, fishers can definitivelydemonstrate to consumers their products were caughtsustainably and ethically, continues BubbaCook.

For the last five years, MPI has been engaged ina comprehensive outreach and consultation effort with allconcerned stakeholders who will be affected by thischange.

Bubba Cook explains, As participants inthis process, we can say with confidence that it was amethodical, inclusive, and supportive approach to ensure allvoices have been heard. While change can be daunting to anyindustry, there is an opportunity here for the industry tocapitalise on the ability to show consumers how, where, andby whom their seafood is produced.

Cameras on Boatsis the vital next step towards creating a fully transparentseafood supply chain. It will give our fishers the sociallicence to prove its reputation of accountability,responsibility, andsustainability.

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WWF-New Zealand: New Tech Is A Win-Win For Conservation And Fisheries | Scoop News - Scoop

Shuttering international tourism, with a decrease of almost 20 per cent* in contributions to exports, the pandemic severely impacted New Zealand's economy. Expo 2020 represented a lifeline to join more than 30,000 businesses in promoting their brands on a global platform.

While New Zealand's national borders remained closed to all travellers, the Kiwi pavilion at Expo 2020 hosted more than 1.24 million visitors from March 2021-October 2022. Those who experienced Aotearoa's immersive storytelling concept at Expo, themed kaitiakitanga or 'Care for People and Place', also got to sample exceptional Kiwi cuisine and wine at Tiaki restaurant and enjoy performances from or interact with New Zealand's leading youth representatives.

Since its inception in 1851, World Expo has continued to be one of the most enduring global mega-events, unrivalled in its scale, duration and visitor numbers. Themed 'Connecting Minds, Creating the Future', Dubai's Expo hosted 192 participating countries and welcomed 24 million visitors over six months, making it the world's largest gathering since the pandemic started.

Essentially, Expo 2020 functioned as New Zealand's 'shop window' to the world, says CEO of New Zealand Story, David Downs.

SUPPLIED

The Kiwi pavilion at Expo 2020 hosted more than 1.24 million visitors from March 2021-October 2022.

"Expo gave us the opportunity to retain mindshare and brand presence in the world when we couldn't welcome people here," says Downs. "It's critical for a small country that we project ourselves globally, showcase our products and services and continue to retain and build New Zealand's 'soft power' (the ability to have an influence).

"It will take time for the trade deals and business transactions to come to fruition, but one very relevant stat is the lift in 'Net Promotor Score' (NPS) of people going through the Kiwi pavilion," Downs says. "Before entering, the NPS of people who were asked 'would you recommend New Zealand' was -20 (most didn't know) to +67; that means at least 67per centof people marked 9 or 10 out of 10 when they left. This is an amazing increase, influenced by their time in the pavilion."

SUPPLIED

Visitors to the NZ Pavilion at Dubai Expo got to experience performances from New Zealand's leading youth representatives.

New Zealand's innovative architectural design in Expo's Sustainability District, that told the story of the world-first legal status accorded to the Whanganui River in 2017, resonated with international consumers seeking an authentic story, Downs says. "The experience continued through the events held in the meeting spaces and Tiaki restaurant, which collectively showed New Zealand to be a sophisticated and modern country, with a core set of strong values."

As a hub for Europe, The Middle East and North Africa, Dame Julie Christie says the scale of Expo 2020's 438-hectare development on the outskirts of Dubai was "mind-boggling".

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Dame Julie Christie.

A Steering Groupmember for New Zealand's participation at Expo, Christie says the event helped push international perceptions beyond Aotearoa being just a beautiful country to visit. "We moved beyond mountains and lush forests to demonstrate that New Zealand is a great country to partner with, to do business with, because we care. That message got through.

"This Expo was very much about business, rather than past Expos where Aotearoa has concentrated on tourism," Christie says. "That's why our theme of 'Care for People and Place' worked so well, we took inspiration from New Zealand's indigenous environmental ethos of kaitiakitanga the connection and responsibility between people and the natural world. We invested in [new tech] to show that you can innovate while still caring for people and place."

With the pavilion, and the hit that was full-service, 100-seater restaurant Tiaki, Christie says New Zealand punched well above its weight at Expo. "We certainly didn't have the biggest budget, but we captured people's hearts with our authentic story, the knowledge of our guides, our hospitality and the amazing food at our restaurant. The Kiwi burger became legendary."

For the entrepreneurs, performers, chefs and speakers who travelled from New Zealand, Expo was a once-in-a-lifetime event, says Commissioner General for New Zealand at Expo, Clayton Kimpton. "It boosted our reputation as producers of premium quality food and beverage, strengthened people-to-people links and has been a catalyst for future opportunities."

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Commissioner General for New Zealand at Expo, Clayton Kimpton.

Outside of the sports arena, Expo represents one of few opportunities for the international community to get together and celebrate our achievements and who we are, he says:

"New Zealand has a lot to offer, whether it's our innovation, open-mindedness, diversity,orour 'Care for People and Place'. The world can learn a lot from us, and we learn from others too."

As an exporter of produce to more than 120 countries, New Zealand must be present in a competitive global market to stay top of mind, says Kimpton, who upon reflection, considers the biggest achievement over six months of Expo to be how the Kiwi pavilion experience made its 1.24 million visitors feel. "All were welcomed with 'kia ora', made to feel part of our story and experienced our incredible cuisine and hospitality. That's what people will remember."

SUPPLIED

Those who experienced Aotearoa's immersive storytelling concept at Expo, themed kaitiakitanga or 'Care for People and Place', also got to sample exceptional Kiwi cuisine and wine at Tiaki restaurant.

Built from scratch in the middle of the desert, Expo 2020 Dubai is transitioning into a sustainable smart city (District 2020) after closing doors on 31 March.

Find out more about New Zealand's participation at Expo 2020 Dubai hereNew Zealand at Expo 2020 Dubai - Care for People and Placeor view the NZ Pavilion virtually herenzpavilionvirtualtour.co.nz

*Source: Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA), http://www.tia.org.nz/about-the-industry/quick-facts-and-figures/

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New Zealand participation at World Expo crucial to build 'soft power' globally - Stuff

Wednesday, 25 May 2022, 9:10 amPress Release: Maritime Union of New Zealand

The Maritime Union says successful funding outcomes forcoastal shipping are a game changer for New Zealand shippingand the biggest turnaround for the industry thiscentury.

Maritime Union of New Zealand NationalSecretary Craig Harrison says the outcome will see four ormore New Zealand operated ships come into service on the NewZealand coast.

He says the new ships will have asubstantial positive impact on New Zealands supply chaincrisis as well as providing environmental benefits.

MrHarrison says it is essential the new ships are New Zealandflagged and New Zealand crewed to build resilience andcapability in the shipping sector.

Minister ofTransport Michael Wood announced on 24 May 2022 theGovernment had committed $30 million of funding for coastalshipping funding through the National Land TransportProgramme (NLTP) to improve domestic shipping services,reduce emissions, improve efficiency and upgrade maritimeinfrastructure.

Waka Kotahi worked with the widerfreight industry to select four applicants for co-investmentin new and enhanced coastal shipping services through theNLTP.

The four successful applicants were Coastal BulkShipping Ltd, Move International Ltd, Swire Shipping NZ Ltdand Aotearoa Shipping Alliance.

Mr Harrison says afterdecades of neglect, New Zealand coastal shipping had turneda corner and could now begin to fulfil itspotential.

The Maritime Union had relationships withseveral of the operators and would work to ensure crews wereavailable.

Mr Harrison says further investment intraining and skills for a new generation of New Zealandseafarers was an important aspect of rebuilding theindustry.

He says it is essential that a maritimetrading nation like New Zealand had shipping capability andskilled seafarers in an increasingly volatile globalsituation.

Coastal shipping was a low carbon emissiontransport mode, so provided environmental as well aseconomic benefits.

When the new shipping services arefully operational, the Government estimates they will removearound 35 million kilometres of truck travel from NewZealands roading network everyyear.

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New Zealand Coastal Shipping Boost Biggest Turnaround This Century | Scoop News - Scoop

Wednesday, 25 May 2022, 11:08 amPress Release: Medical Research Institute of New Zealand

Fisher & Paykel Healthcares new Airvo 3 devicewith OptiO2 technology, with support from MedicalResearch Institute of New Zealand, offers a majorbreakthrough in the delivery of oxygen therapy to criticallyill patients.

Landmark clinical research, undertakenby the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand (MRINZ),has shown that automatically measuring and adjusting thedelivery of oxygen (known as titration) to achieve a pre-setlevel of oxygen in the blood of seriously ill patients,results in a far more precise delivery of oxygen than thecurrent standard clinical practice of manualtitration.

Fisher & Paykel Healthcare applied thisresearch in the development of its new Airvo 3 device,progressed through an ongoing partnership with researchteams at MRINZ. Designed to deliver Optiflow therapy, thedevice incorporates Fisher & Paykel HealthcaresOptiO2 closed-loop system for targeted oxygen delivery. Acontrolled market release of the Airvo 3 with OptiO2technology is now underway in Aotearoa New Zealand, and itwill be available in other markets as regulatory clearancesare received.

The Automatic versus manual oxygentitration using a novel nasal high-flow device in medicalinpatients with an acute illness study, published in theBritish Medical Journal Open Respiratory Research in2021, represents the latest in alongstanding programme of work at the MRINZ which hasdetermined how best to administer oxygentherapy.

MRINZ has assessed both the risk and benefitsof different oxygen regimens in a wide range of acute andchronic medical conditions through a series of randomisedcontrolled trials, and used this knowledge to guide clinicalpractice.

Earlier trial outcomes showing that both toomuch and too little prescribed oxygen has potential riskswas crucial in the development of international guidelinesfor adopting the swimming between the flags oxygendelivery framework. Swimming between the flags is atreatment concept promoted by respiratory specialistProfessor Richard Beasley, Director of the MRINZ. Thisconcept, now used worldwide, simplifies how cliniciansadminister oxygen therapy to critically ill patients, givingpatients as much or little oxygen as needed to keep theirblood oxygen saturation within a prescribed targetrange.

In current clinical practice healthprofessionals attempt to achieve a pre-set target of bloodoxygen levels by measuring oxygen saturations with a pulseoximeter, a small device clipped to a patients finger,and then manually varying the amount of oxygen administeredin an attempt to achieve the target oxygen saturation range.This practice can be inadequate, because even with closemonitoring patients may be below or above the target rangefor prolonged periods of time.

To overcome thisproblem, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare have enhanced theAirvo 3 device, allowing humidified oxygen to beautomatically titrated in response to changes in oxygensaturation, as measured from the pulse oximeter linked tothe Airvo system.

Professor Richard Beasley, MRINZDirector, says, Fisher & Paykel Healthcares Airvo3 is likely to result in a paradigm change in the way oxygenis delivered to critically ill patients here in Aotearoa NewZealand, and eventually, globally. With this new devicethere is now the capability to titrate the amount of oxygendelivered via nasal high flow therapy, which may help toensure that the patient can safely swim between theflags.

Oxygen is a common treatment in patientswho are admitted to hospital acutely unwell. This latestMRINZ clinical research, sponsored by Fisher & PaykelHealthcare, studied acutely unwell patients admitted toWellington Regional Hospital. The patients had a wide rangeof medical conditions including heart failure, pneumonia,pulmonary embolism and exacerbations of asthma and chronicobstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

The study foundthat automatic oxygen titration resulted in 96% of the timespent within the target saturation range, compared with 71%with manual titration.

Dr James Harper, leadresearcher in the study, says, These findings are reallyimportant, as they show that use of this new device ensuresthat unwell patients spend almost all the time preciselywithin the optimum target saturation range, avoiding therisk of both too much and too little oxygen.

Aswe know that maintaining oxygen saturations withinprescribed target ranges leads to improved clinicaloutcomes, the use of this device is likely to help manypatients who need oxygen in hospital, says DrHarper.

Garry Middleton Simpson is one of the twentypatients who took part in the study. As a patient youtake for granted that the oxygen that is administrated toyou is being delivered the best possible way. I amincredibly grateful that the researchers at MRINZ and theteam at Fisher & Paykel Healthcare are so curious anddedicated, questioning clinical methods, and finding new andbetter ways to care for sick people when they need itmost, says Garry.

Quality medical care increasinglyrelies on innovative new technologies, and the MRINZcollaboration with Fisher & Paykel Healthcare representsa significant and valued partnership. The MRINZ worksclosely with the biomedical industry to design and conductgold-standard research supporting device development andadoption in practice.

Medical devices and advancedtechnologies greatly help clinicians deliver the bestpossible patient care. Supporting product innovation anddevelopment is a significant part of our MRINZ focus. Itsa privilege to work in collaboration with Fisher &Paykel Healthcares world-leading designers and engineersto develop and test novel devices that have the potential tochange clinical practice, says Adjunct Professor AlexSemprini, MRINZ Deputy Director.

Andrew Somervell, VP Products and Technology at Fisher & PaykelHealthcare, says, Our teams worked closely with ourcustomers and clinicians to design a device that meetshealthcare providers evolving needs and delivers betterpatient outcomes. We value our longstanding relationshipwith MRINZ and are grateful for their support on theresearch and development of the Airvo3.

ENDS

BACKGROUNDDETAIL

https://www.fphcare.com/nz/corporate/investor/news/fy22/fph-unveils-airvo-3/

Automaticversus manual oxygen titration using a novel nasal high-flowdevice in medical inpatients with an acute illness: https://bmjopenrespres.bmj.com/content/8/1/e000843

Currentguideline recommendations state oxygen should beadministered to acutely unwell patients to achieve a targetoxygen saturation (SpO2) range. The current practice ofmanual oxygen titration frequently results in SpO2 outsideof a prescribed range. The aim of this study was to assessthe efficacy of automatic oxygen titration using aclosed-loop feedback system to achieve SpO2 within aprescribed target range.

An open-label randomisedparallel group trial was undertaken comparing automaticoxygen titration using a novel nasal high-flow device tomanual oxygen titration using nasal high flow. Medicalinpatients requiring oxygen therapy in Wellington RegionalHospital, New Zealand with a prescribed target SpO2 range of88%-92% or 92%-96% were recruited and randomised equallybetween the interventions for a period of 24 hours. Theprimary outcome was the proportion of time spent with SpO2within the prescribed range.

Twenty patients wereincluded in the analysis. Automatic oxygen titrationresulted in a median (IQR) 96.2% (95.2-97.8) of time withinthe target range compared with 71% (59.4-88.3) with manualtitration; difference (95% CI) 24.2% (7.9% to 35%),p

The conclusion of the study is thatnasal high-flow with automatic oxygen titration resulted ina greater proportion of time spent with SpO2 in target rangecompared with manualtitration.

Medical ResearchInstitute of New ZealandRangahautia TeOra

The Medical Research Institute of New Zealand(MRINZ) is Aotearoa New Zealands leading independentmedical research institute. MRINZ research is guided by asimple philosophy: it must challenge dogma, increaseknowledge, and have the potential to improve clinicalpractice and outcomes, both in Aotearoa New Zealand, andinternationally.

The MRINZs research teams arededicated to investigating important public health problems,delivering high quality evidence on which to improve themanagement of disease and patient care. An internationallyrecognised academic institution, the MRINZ is a charitabletrust pursuing advances in clinical practice and providing abase for specialist training in medical research. The MRINZis committed to contributing toward a more equitable societythat celebrates Te Ao Mori and upholds Te Tiriti oWaitangi.

Fisher & PaykelHealthcare

Fisher & Paykel Healthcare isa leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of productsand systems for use in acute and chronic respiratory care,surgery and the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. Thecompanys products are sold in over 120 countriesworldwide. For more information, visit http://www.fphcare.com.

DrJames Harper, MRINZ Clinical Research Fellow andAlumniJames completed his undergraduate medicaltraining at the University of Bristol, England and graduatedwith honours in 2009. He subsequently completed hispostgraduate medical training in the South-West of England,specialising in Respiratory Medicine. James undertook a PhDduring his specialist Respiratory training at the MedicalResearch Institute of New Zealand during which time heinvestigated a novel method of oxygen delivery involvingnasal high-flow with automatic oxygen titration. He wassuccessfully awarded a PhD from Victoria University ofWellington in 2021 and subsequently returned to the UK tocomplete his specialist training. James has recently beenappointed a Consultant in Respiratory Physician at the RoyalUnited Hospital, Bath. James has an ongoing interest inresearch and oxygen delivery for unwellpatients.

Professor Richard Beasley,MRINZ DirectorRichard Beasley, MBChB, MD, DSc,CNZM, is a physician at Wellington Regional Hospital,Director of the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand,and Professor of Medicine at Victoria University ofWellington. He is an Adjunct Professor at the University ofOtago and Visiting Professor, University of Southampton,United Kingdom. He was previously the Deputy Chair of theHealth Research Council of New Zealand. Richards areas ofexpertise and medical interest include Asthma, ChronicObstructive Pulmonary Disease, Epidemiology, Oxygen andRespiratory Medicine.

Professor Beasley is availablefor interview.

MEDIAENQURIES

Nicola Marshall, MRINZ CommunicationsAdvisorNicola.Marshall@mrinz.ac.nz+6421 2564737

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New Zealand Leads Medical Breakthrough In Oxygen Therapy | Scoop News - Scoop