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Reality TV helped bring clean water to the Pacific, says ChildFund

Source: ChildFund New Zealand

ChildFund New Zealand welcomes the return of Celebrity Treasure Island to TVNZ, after actor and musician JP Foliaki won last year, and donated his winnings to water projects in the Pacific.
“When JP won, there were celebrations across the Pacific – from Kiribati to Solomon Islands,” says CEO of ChildFund, Josie Pagani.
99% of households in eighteen villages in Temotu Province, Solomon Islands, for example, do not have reliable access to clean safe drinking water.
“JP’s winnings – roughly $110,000 – will help change this.”
Thousands of children across the Pacific still lack access to clean, safe drinking water. Children get sick and even die from drinking contaminated water. Or they miss school to walk hours to collect clean water.
“Clean water changes everything. Kids stay healthy, go to school and get the best chance of realising their potential.”
“We know that New Zealanders want to see where their donations go, and if the money makes a difference. Development is hard. Some projects work better than others.”
To find out more JP is going to ‘follow his money’ to see how it is being used in some of the most remote islands of Solomon Islands, in Temotu Province.
JP Foliaki will be joined by ChildFund CEO Josie Pagani, and leading paediatrician trained in tropical medicine, Dr Caroline Hart for filming in October. ‘Follow the Money’ will be filmed by documentary maker, Mike Bhana from Wild Films.
Mike has filmed in the Pacific for many years, and is best known in New Zealand for his documentary series, Fish of the Day with Clark Gayford. 
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Transport User-Pays – Privatising Road User Charges risks higher costs for drivers – PSA

Source: PSA

The Government's plan to privatise the collection of Road User Charges, at the same time as moving all vehicles on to the system, risks adding to the cost of living for New Zealanders, the PSA says.
Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi says “it is concerning that the Government is moving to privatise a key government role – revenue collection – without presenting a clear, evidenced justification.
“Administration fees on Road User Charges are already low, about 1% of the revenue collected, and do not make a profit for NZTA. Putting RUC in the hands of private companies, who will need to make a profit on the transactions, is a recipe for higher fees for drivers.”
“Ramping up driving costs at a time when the Government is failing to control inflation makes no sense. This is another example of the Government's reckless focus on privatising provision of public services, even if it increases costs to New Zealanders.
“As we have seen time and again, privatisation means less accountability to the public and Parliament. It will result in less public control over how much drivers are charged.
“Privatisation is a problem masquerading as a solution. The only people who will see any benefit from this scheme are the corporates who take their cut to gather the tax,” says Fitzsimons.
The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand's largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.
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Govt’s anti-climate policies should be top of hazards list in latest briefing document – Greenpeace

Source: Greenpeace

Greenpeace says the Government’s recently announced Long Term Insights Briefing on Building Resilience to Hazards – including climate change – is deeply ironic, as its policies are pouring fuel on the fire of more severe weather events.
Greenpeace spokesperson Amanda Larsson says “Top of the list of hazards should be the Government’s own policies, which are driving us closer to climate disaster.
“Ironically, this briefing was released only days after Luxon quite literally poured more fuel on the fire of climate change by overturning the offshore oil and gas ban.”
Luxon’s Government has repealed more than 35 climate actions that were outlined in the first Emissions Reduction Plan, with no replacement policy for reducing emissions.
“Under pressure from lobbyists, Luxon is fast-tracking coal mining and handing out hundreds of millions in fossil fuel subsidies to try to bring back deep sea oil exploration,” says Larsson.
“His policies will lead to more severe weather and flooding, which are identified in this report as increasingly costly and deadly hazards for New Zealanders.”
The Long Term Insights Briefing flags that agriculture is one of the sectors most at risk from climate impacts – and that economic diversification and nature restoration are key to mitigating this impact.
Larsson says, “Intensive dairying is New Zealand’s biggest climate polluter. And Luxon’s Government is giving the industry a free pass to increase its pollution.”
The Luxon-led government has exempted agriculture from joining the Emissions Trading Scheme until at least 2030. He is also exploring changing how methane is accounted for to further weaken climate targets for the sector – a move that was criticised by leading international climate scientists as an “accounting trick” that “ignores scientific evidence.”
“It is frankly deplorable that the Government can claim to be providing important educational information to New Zealanders with this briefing while doing the complete opposite of heeding its own advice,” says Larsson.
“The briefing is ostensibly ‘intended to spark thinking’ but there doesn’t seem to be much thinking going on in the Beehive about its role in fuelling the storms that are raging on its front step.
“People all around the world are taking action against big polluters, in the streets, in the courtrooms, and on the frontlines where industry is trying to push ahead with their destructive practices. If Luxon’s Government won’t take action, then everyday people will.”
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Climate – New Zealand Experiences 4th-Warmest July on Record – Monthly Climate Summary July 2025 from Earth Sciences New Zealand (formerly NIWA)

Source: Earth Sciences New Zealand

New Zealand has recorded its 4th-warmest July since records began in 1909, according to the Earth Sciences New Zealand (formerly NIWA) latest Monthly Climate Summary.
The mild start to winter for most of the country in June continued through July, with the nationwide average temperature of 9.2°C. for July being 1.1°C above the 1991-2020 July average. It was New Zealand’s 4th-warmest July since Earth Sciences New Zealand's seven station temperature series began in 1909, says Earth Sciences NZ climate scientist Gregor Macara.
“Nine locations observed their warmest July on record, including Hokitika and Chatham Island, where records date back to 1866 and 1878, respectively.”
Temperatures were above or well above average for most the country, says Macara. The highest temperature was 22.7°C, observed at North Canterbury’s Waipara West on 29 July.
Rainfall was above or well above normal for northern, central and southern parts of the North Island, Tasman, Buller, Nelson, and Marlborough, but below or well below normal for Southland, Otago, Canterbury, and the eastern North Island from Napier to Castlepoint. The highest 1-day rainfall was 164 mm, recorded at Motueka on 11 July.
The three sunniest locations in 2025 so far are Taranaki, Bay of Plenty, and Auckland. Of the six main centres in July 2025, Auckland was the warmest, wettest, and sunniest, Christchurch was the coolest and driest, and Dunedin was the least sunny.
There is more detailed information on the key climate highlights for July 2025, including for the regions and main centres, notable extremes and weather events, the Nelson-Tasman floods and slips, and a record for Milford Sound in the full report at Monthly | Earth Sciences New Zealand | NIWA 
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Employment – Workers paying the price in weak economy – NZCTU

Source: NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi

New data released by Statistics New Zealand shows that unemployment has increased to 5.2%, meaning that there are 158,000 people unemployed in New Zealand, and that wages are not keeping up with rising costs.

“Unemployment has increased 28% since the Government took office. They have no plan to bring the numbers down or help unemployed workers, and the data shows even deeper problems ahead,” said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Economist Craig Renney.

“There were 2.5m fewer hours worked than this time last year, and 8.5m fewer hours worked this year than at change in government. That’s over a million fewer days at work on an average 8-hour day.

“Wages are also stagnating. 51% of workers got a pay rise less than inflation, and 64% of people got a pay rise less than 3%. The majority of workers are now seeing their pay shrink in real terms on their base pay, by at least 0.7%. 43% of workers saw no increase in their wages according to the Labour Cost Index. Average weekly earnings in the public sector fell 0.3%, the largest fall since 2018.  

“Underemployment continues to be a real problem in the labour market – 130,000 people want more hours and can’t get them. The number of people who are underutilised – a broader measure of spare capacity in the economy which includes all those wanting work or more hours – broke the 400,000 barrier for the first time in New Zealand’s history.    

“The weakness in the labour market is particularly pronounced for young people, with 15,000 fewer 15–24-year-olds in employment than last year. Māori unemployment is 10%, and Pacific Peoples unemployment is 12.1%. The number of people employed fell in 9 out 12 regions, with a fall of 23,100 people employed in Auckland since last year.

“This data, together with anticipated weaker GDP data, suggests that the economy is in a difficult place and now needs support – not cuts. Unemployment is higher in New Zealand than in the UK (4.5%), the USA (4.2%) and Australia (4.2%). It’s higher than the OECD Average (4.9%)”.

“This data shows that New Zealand needs a different economic plan. Workers are paying the price for the Government’s policies, who have the wrong priorities when tax breaks come before employment support. Wages and work aren’t back on track, and working people aren’t getting ahead,” said Renney.

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Transport – Road freight association supports Government steps towards universal road user charges

Source: Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand

National road freight association Transporting New Zealand has welcomed Transport Minister Chris Bishop’s announcement this morning about modernising the Road User Charges (RUC) system, ahead of transitioning to universal RUC at a later date.
The announced changes will enable greater and more flexible use of technology, and private sector provision of RUC for light vehicles.
Transporting New Zealand Chief Executive Dom Kalasih says that transitioning the light vehicle fleet from pay-at-the-pump fuel excise duty will be a significant undertaking, but essential to ensuring the transport system is sustainably funded.
“Having modern, well maintained transport infrastructure is essential to moving people and freight in a safe, affordable, and reliable way.”
“With an increasing number of electric, hybrid, and efficient ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles not paying fuel excise duty or contributing at reduced rates, we need reform to avoid a structural funding deficit. We simply cannot afford to have a large proportion of the light vehicle fleet not contributing fairly to the maintenance and improvement of our roads. That is a recipe for congested, unsafe, pot-holed roads.”
Kalasih says that the road freight industry has been paying and administering weight-based road user charges for heavy vehicles for nearly 50 years, and Transporting New Zealand is optimistic that the light vehicle fleet can be carefully transitioned to universal RUC without undue inconvenience or disruption to motorists.
“It’s encouraging to see the Government isn’t rushing to implement the transition, is focused on ensures the RUC system is user-friendly and accessible to lower income people and is continuing a bipartisan approach to these reforms.”
“The Ministry of Transport has been engaging with us on this change for a considerable period and it’s good to see the Minister is addressing this issue. We will continue to provide advice on how to implement the RUC transition smoothly, learning lessons from our trucking members’ experiences with paying and managing RUC.”
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Education – New charter schools approved

Source: Charter School Agency

New charter schools approved – Two new charter schools – one focusing on Māori education and the other on nature-based learning – will open in term one next year, Charter School Agency Chief Executive Jane Lee says.
“Sponsors of these two new schools have been approved by the Authorisation Board. When the schools open early next year, they will join the existing charter schools to provide further innovative educational opportunities for children,” Mrs Lee says.
Te Kāpehu Whetū – Tamaki, in Auckland, and The Forest School in Warkworth will join the eight charter schools already open. Tōtara Point School, which was contracted earlier this year will also open in term one 2026.
Te Kāpehu Whetū – Tamaki has been approved as a boarding school for students in years 11-13. The school will provide an opportunity for senior Tai Tokerau students to attend an Auckland school and to retain strong links to whenua and whānau.
“Te Kāpehu Whetū has been delivering Māori education in Whangarei for the past 11 years, operating education establishments from kohanga reo through to primary and secondary education,” Mrs Lee says.
The school aims to empower students to be bilingual, confident, and well-prepared for the future. It will offer the NCEA qualification.
The Forest School in Warkworth will accept students in years 1-6 when it opens and by 2028 will accept students up to year 8. It will adopt an experiential learning approach – the process of learning by doing. For Forest School students, this means spending at least four hours outside each day, year-round.
“The school says this nature-based learning means students will build resilience, confidence and self-management by connecting with nature and having hands-on experiences,” Mrs Lee says.
“Forest School will be guided by the Reggio Emilia approach which is a philosophy that respects children’s natural curiosity. Students will have limited screen time, focusing instead on hands-on creativity.”
Forest School has operated a one-day school for 4-12-year-olds in Hatfields Beach since 2016, catering mainly to disengaged and underachieving students.
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Property Market – Students face rising rents despite more properties on offer in university towns

Source: Brainchild PR for RealEstate.co.nz

  • Supply of rental properties has surged in Dunedin City, Wellington City, Palmerston North City and Hamilton City
  • Dunedin City recorded a 12.2% year-on-year average rental price increase to $709/week

Despite an influx of rental properties in key university towns, students are potentially paying more to secure accommodation in some cities.

New rental data from realestate.co.nz shows that average rents in Dunedin City increased 12.2% year-on-year to $709/week despite 66.2% more rental properties listed compared to the same time last year. Hamilton City was another university town to record a surge in listings, with 17.9% more properties available than July last year.

Vanessa Williams, spokesperson for realestate.co.nz, says Dunedin City’s sharp rise in supply hasn’t slowed rent increases, suggesting sustained tenant demand.

“We’re seeing strong momentum in rental listings in some regions, and this appears to be impacting prices. Key student cities continue to feel pressure in the rental market and even with more properties available, affordability remains a challenge, particularly for those on a tight budget.”

Elsewhere, students could enjoy greater choice alongside cheaper rents. Year-on-year new listings increased while average asking prices decreased in Christchurch City, Palmerston North City, Wellington City, and Auckland City.

Christchurch City’s average rent of $650/week was down 3.2% on July last year, while Palmerston North City’s average rent fell 2.3% in the same period to $561/week, and Auckland City’s average rent dropped 2.8% to $687/week.

However, Wellington City reported the most significant decline in average rental prices, down 14.6% year-on-year to $602/week.

“There’s a noticeable shift happening in Wellington City’s rental market. The sharp rise in available rental properties has put some downward pressure on prices, which could suggest that landlords are adjusting expectations to remain competitive in a market with significantly more choice.”

National average rents hold steady at $638/week despite surge in listings

Nationally, the average weekly rent of $638 in July was down 1.7% year-on-year. However, rental supply rose sharply with 16.2% more new listings coming onto the site compared to July last year.

“Despite a noticeable lift in rental supply, national prices remained surprisingly stable during July.” says Williams. “This suggests rental demand is strong across much of the country, whether this continues will depend on how supply and demand play out over the coming months.”

About realestate.co.nz  

We’ve been helping people buy, sell, or rent property since 1996. Established before Google, realestate.co.nz is New Zealand’s longest-standing property website and the official website of the real estate industry.  

Dedicated only to property, our mission is to empower people with a property search tool they can use to find the life they want to live. With residential, lifestyle, rural and commercial property listings, realestate.co.nz is the place to start for those looking to buy or sell property.

Glossary of terms:

The average weekly rental rate is an indication of current market sentiment. It is calculated by taking the asking rental rate of every residential property listed during that month and dividing it by the total number of rental properties. The average is a truncated mean.

New listings are a record of all the new residential dwellings listed for rent on realestate.co.nz for the relevant calendar month. Listings on the site include rental properties listed by Property Managers and private landlords and provide a representative view of the New Zealand rental property market.

Stock is the total number of residential dwellings that are for rent on realestate.co.nz on the penultimate day of the month.

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Greenpeace – Jones moves to greenlight ocean destruction through reforms

Source: Greenpeace

Greenpeace says moves to weaken ocean protection through dodgy fisheries “reforms” will be met with strong opposition, as Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announces he wants to proceed with a raft of proposed changes to fisheries laws. The controversial changes are some of the largest in decades, and would restrict public access to cameras on boats footage, remove the requirement for fishers to land all their catch, and stop legal challenges to catch limits that have been successful in protecting species in recent years.
The reforms will also give the Minister the ability to set catch limits for five years,
Greenpeace oceans campaigner Ellie Hooper says these proposals give the industry carte blanche on ocean destruction, weaken transparency and block the public from having input into fisheries decisions.
“These changes spell disaster for the already struggling ocean around us.
“Championed by the Minister for Oceans & Fisheries, the changes green light ocean destruction and remove the already minimal checks and balances designed to keep the fishing industry accountable”, she says. “It is yet another example of how this government is pandering to the fishing industry while ignoring the overwhelming majority of New Zealanders who want more ocean protection, not less. New Zealanders want a healthy, thriving ocean where fish are plentiful and ecosystems are thriving.
“These reforms will mean more destruction, more decline in fish populations, and will allow the industry to go back to operating in the dark – hiding the impact they have.”
One of the proposed reforms is to restrict access to footage from cameras on boats to industry and government only.”This is not how it should work,” says Hooper.
“There are far more people in this country than just the commercial fishing industry who have a right to know how the ocean is being impacted, and have a say on what happens about protecting it.”
Hooper also warns that setting catch limits for five years could spell disaster for fish numbers, noting the recent collapse of the Chatham Rise Orange Roughy fishery, which has been so mismanaged it could now be at 8% of its original size. “Greenpeace, backed by thousands of New Zealanders, stands for defending nature and ocean health. We are calling for an urgent end to destructive bottom trawling on seamounts and other vulnerable features, and for all footage from cameras on boats to be made accessible via the OIA (The Offical Information Act).
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Unemployment rate at 5.2 percent in the June 2025 quarter – Stats NZ media and information release: Labour market statistics: June 2025 quarter