The Government has today announced three new residential housing projects to be considered under the fast-track consenting process, which it says will create 891 homes and 912 jobs.
The fast-track process was part of the Government's Covid-19 response to accelerate economic activity.
The three projects included the 748-home Te Pūtahi project in Lake Hayes, Queenstown, which would include a park-and-ride facility to promote public transport use, and potentially a new school.
Another, Kepa Road Apartments residential development in Kohimarama, Auckland, would see 58 homes in two buildings. The Wellsford North project in north Auckland was a medium-density subdivision with about 85 homes residential units and create 560 jobs.
Environment Minister David Parker said since 2020, half of the 56 projects approved under the fast-track legislation have now obtained consent.
They have the potential to create 8901 jobs and 4142 new homes, he said.
The Government is also continuing work on repealing the Resource Management Act 1991 and replacing it with two new Acts, the Spatial Planning Act and the Natural and Built Environments.
Speaking after the Cabinet meeting today, Ardern said she disagreed with comments she had not spoken out enough on women's issues in Iran.
At the start of the month the Government had called in the Iranian Ambassador to express their "deep concern".
Asked about a damning report into Middlemore Hospital following a woman's death, Ardern said there had now been two reports into the incident, which were important to both understand what had occurred and ensure similar situations did not happen.
She noted the death of the woman, who died after being told there was a long wait to be seen at the emergency department, had come during an unprecedented period of demand on the health system.
Speaking on the robbery of a South Auckland food bank reported today, Ardern said she could not tell you what is on the mind of a person who breaks into a food bank.
Ardern said support had been increased for people struggling.
There was still hardship out there but the Government had taken "significant steps".
Ardern said she had not seen the derogatory comments made about Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta by a Russian oligarch on social media.
Ardern said among the 63 people repatriated to Australia from Syria there "may well be" New Zealanders.
Australia plans to repatriate about 60 women and children – wives, sons and daughters of slain or jailed Islamic State combatants – who have been held for more than three years in detention camps in north-east Syria.
Ardern said there was a "lack of clarity" about the citizenship of many of these people.
On Covid-19 case numbers, Ardern said modelling had predicted a wave of cases similar to what is being experienced currently.
It was predicted there could be a small increase but much lower than the Omicron wave at the start of the year.
The Government was not currently considering relaxing or increasing restrictions including the seven-day isolation period, she said.
On current levels of restrictions, the country was still in a period of Covid-19 waves.
The country was in a much better place than a year ago, being highly vaccinated and with anti-viral medication available, she said.
Ardern said she could not say when all current restrictions would be removed.
The Covid-19 Epidemic preparedness notice which gives the Government the power to implement Covid-19 restrictions and rules - such as mask mandates - is due to expire on October 20 unless it is renewed before then.
Cabinet had considered letting it lapse three months ago when it decided to drop the traffic light system, but opted to renew it then to allow it to continue to require masks in health settings. It is expected to decide today whether to renew it again - which requires the PM to state she is satisfied Covid-19 is "likely to continue to disrupt essential governmental and business activity in New Zealand significantly".
Earlier today, Ardern hit back at New Zealand First's leader Winston Peters' claims from the weekend's party conference saying "some of them are plain wrong".
"I'm wary - on some of the more extreme statements - just wary of, I guess, giving them any more headlines. Because some of them are just plain wrong," she told TVNZ's Breakfast show.
Ardern said she was otherwise happy to discuss things like the agricultural emissions proposal that had been put forward because NZ First ultimately voted for the Zero Carbon Act, which set a target to reduce emissions.
Ardern is also likely to be asked about ram raids, with new police data showing in August there were more than two a day.
