Police have confirmed they shot back at a gunman who used two cars to lead officers on a dramatic police chase through the Bay of Plenty today.

Andrew Coster says there would have to be a "very high threshold" for him to change his belief that our police should not be routinely armed.

Five people were arrested as part of an ongoing police operation targeting the illegal manufacture of meth in the region.

Police have arrested five people and seized more than $2.5 million in assets after a series of raids in Christchurch.

Police Association president Chris Cahill said while the trial was flawed, there is now a conversation to be had about the place of ARTs in policing.

Chris Cahill penned a column calling for a more inclusive culture around the same time Coster started sharing his vision internally.