Bumper school rolls
Education Minister Steve Maharey this week released an overview of school rolls showing that this is the peak year for New Zealand school enrolments. More than 700,000 students start the school year on Tuesday, rising to a record 756,000 by July. Nearly 10,000 new entrants start next week - the first of 58,000 children starting school this year, Mr Maharey said. He said he would be talking with teachers, parents and communities around the country, about raising student achievement and improving learning outcomes for all students. The report also noted: Most new entrants (94 per cent) will have attended an early childhood education centre; Some 275,900 children will be attending secondary school, an increase of around 2,200 on last year and; Around 480,500 children will attend primary school, 1,700 fewer than last year. Secondary school rolls will continue to bulge as children born in the early 1990s - the baby-blippers - move into secondary schooling. During 2006 an estimated $5.3 billion of government funding will be spent on schools, $200 million more than last year.

Deployment support overseas
New Zealand is considering positively continuing its commitment in Afghanistan along current levels, Defence Minister Phil Goff told an international conference on Afghanistan in London this week. Cabinet is due to consider the matter in the next month. While a major increase in the level of military personnel has been ruled out, Mr Goff told the conference that New Zealand's contribution to Afghanistan remains a significant element in our long-term commitment to building a more secure international environment. This week also marked the latest deployment of NZ troops to the Solomon Islands. Mr Goff said the second platoon rotation, being shared with Australia, Fiji, Tonga and Papua New Guinea, was essential to the Solomon's' on-going stability and security. The 46-strong Kiwi platoon will be based in Honiara for three months. New Zealand has also extended its deployment of Defence force staff in Bosnia and Herzegovina, for another 14 months from 1 March.

PM to Australia, South Africa
Prime Minister Helen Clark will next week travel to Australia and South Africa for formal bilateral meetings, and for the Progressive Governance Summit near Pretoria. She is visiting Australia for the annual bilateral meeting between the New Zealand and Australian Prime Ministers, to be held in Canberra on 8 February. She will also meet other members of the Australian Cabinet. Helen Clark said the two countries share a relationship underpinned by common values, a shared history and an ever-growing economic partnership. The meeting was a chance to review a range of international, regional and bilateral issues, and maintains the strength of a very strong trans-Tasman relationship. In South Africa, she will meet with President Mbeki and members of his government before attending the summit, with leaders from Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Africa.

New trade rules
Rules governing trans-Tasman trade have been relaxed, and should ease the process of New Zealand businesses sending goods into Australia duty-free. Trade Minister Phil Goff and the Commerce Minister Lianne Dalziel say the new rules come into effect at the beginning of next year. Under the existing rules, at least 50 per cent of a product has to have local content to qualify for preferential entry under the Closer Economic Relations agreement. The ministers say the new rules will shift the focus away from the origin of inputs. The new Rules of Origin (ROO) agreement under CER follows nearly a year of negotiation between Australia and New Zealand. The agreement provides significantly more liberal rules for New Zealand producers and exporters to qualify for preferential entry into the Australian market under CER and will benefit many New Zealand businesses.

Apple serve for Aussies
New Zealand delivered a strong message to Australia over apple imports at the World Trade Organisation's Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Committee meeting in Geneva this week, says Trade Minister Phil Goff. This action followed the December release of Australia's revised draft Import Risk Analysis (IRA) for New Zealand apples, which acknowledged in principle that our apples should be allowed into Australia, but under strict quarantine conditions. New Zealand's statement to the SPS Committee expressed concern at the proposed quarantine conditions, notably the imposition of quarantine measures for the apple disease fire blight, despite a ruling by the WTO in 2004 that found that apples as commercially traded do not transmit fire blight. He also expressed frustration at the ongoing delays in the IRA process. The latest application to gain access Australia began in 1999.

New unit for neonatal newborns
A new $8 million neonatal unit at Middlemore Hospital was officially opened this week. The new unit - developed following a national review of neonatal capacity in 2004 - was welcomed by Health Minister Pete Hodgson as a huge asset for families in Counties Manukau and the wider Auckland region. The review highlighted that many ill children in Counties Manukau had to be cared for outside the region as Middlemore's capacity was significantly stretched, he said. Families were traveling long distances to be with their children, causing obvious stress. The new neonatal intensive care unit will provide care for around 600 critically ill newborn babies a year in the Auckland metropolitan area and replaces Middlemore's existing facility. The government and Counties Manukau DHB contributed $4.5 million towards the development of the facility, with another $3.6 million provided by the South Auckland Health Foundation. The unit is three times bigger, with 26 cots and a room for 36.