New Zealand

Oxfam Trailwalker 2023 Results

March 14, 2023

Fastest times 100 km
1. The JMs                              17:14 (Paraparaumu, Havelock North, and Palmerston North)
2. Capital Connection             17:26 (Wellington)
3. Striders of Disfunction        17:53 (Australia)

Fastest times 50km
1. Lost in Pace                        09:04 (Auckland)
2. Proclaimers                         09:32 (Auckland)
3. The Walking Westies          09:34 (Raglan)

Oxfam Aotearoa’s Fundraising Director Ange Janse van Rensburg said:

“Completing Oxfam Trailwalker is an amazing achievement for the teams and something they will remember for the rest of their lives. The fastest 100km team was an incredible group called the JMs who hailed from all over the country and finished at a time of 17 hours and 14 minutes. It is such a thrill to watch the first team cross the finish line and the energy from spectators, friends and whānau was electric.”

Participants in teams of four took on either a 50km or 100km trail across the stunning Taranaki region, from New Plymouth city to Lake Mangamahoe and everywhere in-between. Teams started early Saturday morning and had 18 hours to complete the 50km trail or 36 hours to compete the 100km trail.

“The weather really turned it on for the event over the weekend. Clear skies gave way to the stunning view of Mt Taranaki all weekend,” said Janse van Rensburg. “Even though we had such terrific weather, this year’s event was still a real challenge through tough terrain, which certainly put the teams through their paces. The warm welcome received from New Plymouth was fantastic and will have certainly helped spur teams on through the wee hours of the night. A huge thank you to the New Plymouth District Council, Venture Taranaki and the local community for their support.”

Second to cross the 100km line was Wellington team Capitol Connections local, finishing in 17 hours and 26 minutes. Team Leader Dennis said that it was the team’s encouragement of each other that helped them get through the low points and push them to the end.

In third position, Australian team Striders of Disfunction, who crossed the finish line at 17 hours 53 minutes.

The first team to cross the 50km line was team Lost in Pace, in 9 hours 4 minutes. In second place, the Proclaimers who came in at 9 hours 32 minutes. And third placed was the Walking Westies who crossed the line at 9 hours 34 minutes.

Executive Director of Oxfam Aotearoa, Jason Myers said:

“The teams participating in Oxfam Trailwalker are taking part in something very special. The money raised will go towards Oxfam’s vision of a just, inclusive, sustainable world for everyone, now and for future generations. This means supporting communities to prepare for and survive the immediate threat of disaster. It means helping people rebuild with strength and security – so they can ultimately thrive in the future.

“Oxfam confronts the root causes that keep people poor, and makes sure those on the frontlines of the climate crisis have what they need to adapt. We stand with all those facing inequality and discrimination to make sure that everyone has equal rights and opportunities, and that economies work for all, not some. I can speak from personal experience when I say that this is a life-changing challenge, and every step is worth it.”

Once the teams have recuperated and recovered, teams will continue to fundraise until the cut-off of 1 May 2023.

As of today, Oxfam Trailwalker has so far raised $482,050. Donations to teams for Oxfam’s lifesaving work can be made at oxfamtrailwalker.org.nz

Oxfam and partners mounting a humanitarian response to help people affected by cyclone in Malawi and Mozambique

March 13, 2023

More than 80 people including women and children have been killed in Mozambique, Malawi and Madagascar, and millions more urgently need clean water, shelter and food following Cyclone Freddy – the longest and strongest tropical storm on record in the Southern hemisphere – which has damaged thousands of homes, roads, and telecommunication infrastructures.

Oxfam and partners are currently assessing the scale of devastation in order to mount a humanitarian response to provide clean water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, as well as emergency cash and food.

“This is a double tragedy for the people of Malawi and Mozambique as this is happening at the time when the two countries are already battered by a cholera outbreak,” said Dailes Judge, Oxfam in Southern Africa Programme Director.

Among the hardest hit areas are Quelimane district in Zambezia Province in Mozambique, and Blantyre City, Chikwawa, Thyolo, Phalombe and Nsanje districts in Malawi. Collapsing infrastructure particularly in the remotest areas is slowing relief efforts. Oxfam is working in close cooperation with both governments.

Cyclone Freddy made its first landfall on the eastern coast of Madagascar on February 21, 2023, and proceeded to hit Mozambique. The climate crisis has made extreme weather including cyclones more severe and prolonged.

“The people that contribute the least drivers of climate change are once again paying the steepest price to climate change, including their own lives”, said Lynn Chiripamberi, Oxfam in Southern Africa Humanitarian Programme Lead.

“A comprehensive humanitarian response is urgently needed to ensure those most impacted get immediate shelter, water and food. Equally important is for rich polluting nations to pay for the climate loss and damage of these countries,” added Judge.

Trailwalker has begun!

March 12, 2023

Oxfam Trailwalker 2023 kicked off early this morning with the first wave of participants stomping through the start line at TSB Stadium at 06:00am. Deputy Major David Bublitz welcomed in the first lot of teams well before the sun rise, and Oxfam’s fundraising director Ange Janse van Rensburg hyped the teams up before sending them on their way.

One team hit the first 16km check point at 07:47am – an incredible 1 hour and 47 minutes after kick off. The ambitious team has chosen to run the Oxfam Trailwalker, rather than walk it.

Over 860 participants are taking place this year, that’s a total of 137 teams with their support crew. Teams will walk 50km in under 18 hours or 100km in under 36 hours to raise funds for Oxfam’s vital work in the Pacific and beyond.

Reaction to Government update on agriculture emissions

December 21, 2022

In reaction to today’s update on agriculture emissions, Oxfam Aotearoa’s Climate Justice Lead Nick Henry, said:

“We are frustrated that the Government is not taking climate destruction seriously enough. We should be aiming for the lowest possible climate pollution, not the lowest possible price on agricultural emissions.

“While we welcome Aotearoa New Zealand’s pledge to reduce methane emissions by 30% below 2020 levels by 2030, these current proposals to price agricultural emissions are estimated to reduce methane emissions by only around 4%. It doesn’t add up.

“The experts have spoken: reducing methane pollution now, as part of reducing total carbon emissions, is essential to avoiding the climate crisis getting worse for us here in Aotearoa, for our friends and whānau in the Pacific, and around the world.

“The Government needs to support our farmers to do their fair share of reducing climate pollution by fully pricing emissions and funding a shift to regenerative low emissions agriculture.”

Oxfam Aotearoa calls for:

A pricing system that ensures agriculture contributes a fair share of the emission reductions needed to meet our domestic and international commitments, including the Global Methane Pledge.
Emissions need to be priced now, not 2025.
The government must scrap the 95 percent discount – the agriculture industry should be paying their fair share.
The government needs to invest in equipping farmers to shift production modes and adjust land use to build a flourishing, regenerative organic food and fibre sector.

Popular NZ fashion brands get 5 star rating from Oxfam

November 17, 2022

Today Oxfam Aotearoa launched the world-famous campaign, What She Makes. The campaign is about asking fashion brands to pay the women overseas who make our clothes a living wage.

Oxfam Aotearoa engaged with four New Zealand founded brands, Glassons, Hallenstein Bros, Kathmandu and Macpac, and two international brands H&M and Lululemon. Today Oxfam released the results of the first step in the process: a credible commitment towards paying workers in their supply chain a living wage.

Glassons, Hallenstein Bros, and Macpac came out on top with a 5 star rating. H&M received 4 stars, Lululemon received 3 stars and New Zealand brand Kathmandu received 2.5 stars.

Oxfam Aotearoa’s What She Makes Lead Tracy Decena said:

“We want to create a race to the top between fashion brands – starting with a real, credible public commitment towards paying the women overseas who make their clothes a living wage. It’s encouraging to see New Zealand founded brands leading the race. Even though some brands did better than others, we want to acknowledge that every brand made some progress. Yet, there is much more to be done, and you can bet we’ll be there supporting and pushing these brands towards the end goal.

“The women making our clothes often work up to 12 hours a day and then extra overtime, but because they make as little as 65 cents an hour, they don’t have enough money for decent housing, food or healthcare – let alone any savings. We are working to change this.

“We encourage our supporters, fashion lovers, and anyone who believes poverty can be a thing of the past to join us by signing the pledge and demanding fashion brands to do better.”

The What She Makes Brand Tracker

For rating and rationale head to https://www.oxfam.org.nz/what-she-makes-brand-tracker/

Our ask of New Zealanders

Oxfam Aotearoa will be asking Kiwis to let brands know they want them to do better, and to stand with the women who make their clothes. They can start by joining the campaign and signing the pledge through: https://www.oxfam.org.nz/what-she-makes-sign-the-pledge/.

Our ask of the brands

The What She Makes campaign calls on clothing brands that sell clothes here in Aotearoa New Zealand to make sure the garment workers in their supply chains are paid a living wage. Oxfam Aotearoa will work with six brands: Glassons, Hallenstein Brothers, H&M, Kathmandu, Lululemon, and Macpac. We asked them to take the first step of their living wage journeys: commit to paying workers in their supply chain a living wage. We’ll work with the brands to get them to there, and publish their progress (or lack of progress) regularly.

Aotearoa top 10 in global inequality index, but tax system’s inequality impact 136th

October 12, 2022

Oxfam Aotearoa communications and advocacy director Dr Jo Spratt said about the Commitment to Reducing Inequality index:

“The inequality index shows Aotearoa is doing pretty well overall, but there is still work to be done. The fact that rich and poor countries alike have exacerbated an explosion of economic inequality since the outbreak of the pandemic from 2020 is unacceptable.

“Billionaire wealth and corporate profits have soared to record levels during the Covid-19 pandemic, while over a quarter of a billion more people could crash to extreme levels of poverty this year because of coronavirus, rising global inequality, and the shock of food price rises supercharged by the war in Ukraine.

“Tax is one of the most powerful tools we have to fight inequality. It is disappointing to see New Zealand’s tax system contributing to the gap between the rich and poor. Especially in these extraordinary times, tax is crucial to boosting government resources to support welfare systems and public services.

“An excess profits tax on supermarkets could be used to support the poorest households most hit by the increase in food prices. Excess profits and windfall tax revenues can help tackle the biggest challenges of our times like the explosion in inequality and the climate crisis.”

The 2022 Commitment to Reducing Inequality Index (CRI Index) is the first detailed analysis into the type of inequality busting policies and actions that 161 countries might have pursued during the first two years of the pandemic.

New Zealand ranks eighth overall, and seventh in the world on tax progressivity. The index found that New Zealand’s tax system is effective at collecting revenue; however, this comes at a cost as New Zealand’s tax system makes a direct contribution to an unequal income distribution. On this, New Zealand ranks 136th in the world. Oxfam says the Government has made some progress since 2020 by slightly increasing the top income tax rate, but needs to do more by taxing wealth and exploring better ways to tax corporate profits.

The table below shows New Zealand’s ranking on the key indicators that make up the CRI.

INDICATOR	RANK
PUBLIC SERVICES
Education spending	98
Social protection spending	35
Health spending	9
Public service spending average of indicators	14
Public service implementation	18
Public service impact on inequality (Gini)	33
Progressivity of public services	22
TAX
Tax policy	91
Tax productivity	3
Tax impact on inequality (Gini)	136
Progressivity of tax	7
LABOUR
Labour rights	74
Women’s labour rights	29
Minimum wage	35
Labour policy average of indicators	50
Coverage of labour rights	36
Wage impact on inequality (Gini)	53
Progressivity of Labour Legislation	35
OVERALL RANK
Commitment to reducing Inequality	8