Police have arrested and charged seven people after executing a number of search warrants in the eastern Bay of Plenty as part of Operation Notus II.
Speaking to media today Senior Sergeant Richard Miller said the operation had "some links to the Mongrel Mob".
Operation Notus II is the second phase of a long-running investigation, led by the National Organised Crime Group, into organised crime and the supply and supplying of methamphetamine and cannabis in the eastern Bay of Plenty region.
Search warrants were conducted this morning in properties in Kawerau, Whakatāne and Te Teko.
The seven are facing a number of charges, including possession for supply, and supplying, methamphetamine and cannabis, as well as firearms-related offending.
They will appear in Whakatāne District Court this afternoon.
Along with methamphetamine and cannabis, 26 firearms and more than $21,000 in cash has been seized.
Three stolen Toyota Hilux utes were recovered from one address in Kawerau, along with a number of power tools.
A stolen Toyota Hilux Surf and trailer were recovered from another address.
Operation Notus, launched in October 2017, revealed the Kawerau Mongrel Mob's involvement in the commercial distribution of meth and cannabis to the community.
As a result of the investigation, 48 people were arrested and almost $3 million in assets were frozen in March 2018.
Acting Eastern Bay of Plenty Area Commander, Senior Sergeant Richard Miller, said, "This was a major disruption to organised crime and methamphetamine supply in EBOP".
A 26-year-old man has been arrested and charged with grievous bodily harm over the stabbing of another man in Napier at the weekend.
Police say the incident occurred on Bledisloe Road, Maraenui, about 9.45pm on Saturday.
Police were advised a short time later when a 42-year-old man arrived at the Wellesley Medical Centre with life-threatening injuries.
He remains in Hawke's Bay Hospital in a serious but stable condition.
The man arrested has been remanded in custody and is due to reappear in Hastings District Court in four weeks.
Anyone who witnessed the incident or has information relevant to the investigation is being urged to contact Hawke’s Bay Police on (06) 873 0500, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
New Zealand midwives are heading into a "make-or-break" pay talk meeting with the Government today.
The focus of the meeting will be on a funding model co-designed by midwives and the Ministry of Health, as part of a settlement reached when the College of Midwives dropped an earlier pay equity court challenge against the Ministry.
The College of Midwives described the settlement as a legally-binding certainty that addressed their long-standing concerns, and the Government's failure to act on it was a breach of the terms of mediation.
College chief executive Karen Guilliland has hinted at the possibility of starting new legal action over pay equity before a meeting later today with Health Minister David Parker.
Ms Guilliland told Nine to Noon the college believed it had an agreement in principle over the model and was awaiting sign-off, but had since been met with silence.
Documents released under the Official Information Act show that as far back as December last year the Health Ministry was recommending against implementing the funding model.
The documents showed the funding model would cost up to $353 million a year - three times the current funding level, which was considered unaffordable.
It was also likely to impact on wider healthcare funding.
Ms Guilliland said they never expected overnight results, and while community midwives welcomed an 8.9 per cent "catch-up" pay increase announced in Budget 2018, it did little to address the gender pay gap.
Ms Guilliland said it was not unrealistic to expect a trebling of funding, as that was what they believed had been agreed upon.
"It was agreed this was what it would cost, and this was what the value of the work that midwifery did.
"You know, people... when they talk about pay equity seem to forget it will require quite a large injection of funds."
Ms Guilliland did not think they exited the earlier legal action too early.
The Human Rights Commission facilitated the mediation, after the historic gender equity case was filed by the New Zealand College of Midwives in 2016.
Ms Guilliland said the action through the Commission was a principled one based on gender discrimination. She said the college thought it would be a quicker process and because it believed the Ministry, it signed up to the agreement.
"Our problem is one of constant reassurances, constant hope, and false promises."
Ms Guilliland said today's meeting was about ensuring faith within the workforce and getting the Minister's backing.
New Zealand's female MPs have today recreated a 1905 photo of former Premier Richard Seddon and his colleagues.
It comes as the country celebrates 125 years since women won the right to vote. However, women were not allowed to stand in Parliament until 1919. Elizabeth McCombs was elected as the first female MP in 1933.
Jacinda Ardern cradles her baby Neve in the photograph.
Mr Seddon was New Zealand Premier from 1893 to 1906, winning five consecutive elections.
