Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Covering period of Monday 15th – Friday 19th September – After a weekend of intense winds across Aotearoa New Zealand, MetService is forecasting brighter skies and warmer temperatures for the early part of this week. The reprieve will be short-lived, however, with winds strengthening and wet weather spreading across the country from Wednesday.

Monday and Tuesday bring a marked east–west contrast across the country. In western areas, a quick check of the rain radar before heading out could prove useful as a few showers are possible, with heavier bursts in western parts of Te Waipounamu/South Island.

Meanwhile, the east will see a different story, with sunnier skies and temperatures several degrees above average for the time of year.

MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane says, “Only a few days ago, parts of Hawke’s Bay struggled to reach double-digit daytime temperatures. Over the next couple of days, highs in the 20s will be common across eastern areas of the country. Even Te Whanganui-a-Tara/Wellington is set for a warm spring day on Tuesday.”

From Wednesday the weather begins to shift as northwesterly winds pick up over the Te Waipounamu/South Island and the lower parts of Te Ika-a-Māui/North Island. A Strong Wind Watch is in place for all of Canterbury for Wednesday.

“Those unsettled northwesterlies will give the second half of the week a very spring-like feel. Keep an eye on MetService channels for any updated severe weather information in the coming days,” Makgabutlane advises.

Along with the strengthening winds, a rain band will move across Te Waipounamu/South Island on Wednesday, reaching Te Ika-a-Māui/North Island on Thursday. A Watch for Heavy Rain is in place for the ranges of Westland, as well as the headwaters of the Canterbury and Otago lakes and rivers on Wednesday. Even once the main band of rain has passed, showers will linger before clearing by the end of Friday, while temperatures dip back to the low to mid-teens for most.

“There’s a good mix of weather this week and plenty of opportunities to practise weather terms in Te Reo Māori during Te Wiki o te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week),” Makgabutlane adds.

PSNA anticipates Foreign Minister, Winston Peters, will get instructions to increase pressure on Israel at cabinet on Monday.

The United Nations General Assembly High Level Leaders Debate starts in New York next Tuesday.

Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa Co-Chair, John Minto says the government has to have listened to the voice of the people who marched for sanctions against Israel, in Auckland (on Saturday).

“With only limited time to organize, and disruption caused by having to change from the route over the Harbour Bridge at the last moment, 25,000 turned out to object to the government’s passive, and effectively pro-Israel, policies.”

“It’s a turn-out that’s been building, now rapidly, in our protests around the country over the past two years”

“New Zealanders are nearly two to one in favour of sanctions against Israel. Support for accountabilities will have increased significantly since then as Israel’s depravity and cruelty has shown no bounds”

Minto says Peters will be attending potentially one of the most important debates in United Nations history next week.

“The General Assembly has already begun, and on Friday, New Zealand voted along with 141 other countries, for a state of Palestine to be created through Israeli withdrawal from the Occupied Palestinian Territory.”

“There were only ten votes against, predictably the US and Israel, but a concerning five Pasifika states voted against Palestine as well.”

“Israel has already made it clear that it has no intention to permit a Palestinian state to emerge, nor compromise its apartheid system, by allowing equal democratic rights to Palestinians who live under its control and inside its present borders.”

Minto says in announcing its position on Palestine, the government will be sensitive to its reputation in Arab countries.

“Israel has just bombed Qatar, to kill off the prospect of a Hamas agreement on hostage releases.  Qatar is a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council, which is led by Saudi Arabia.”

“Peters’ cabinet colleague, Todd McClay is in Saudi Arabia this week to talk trade.  McClay will not be wanting to explain to the Saudis, face to face, why Peters was in New York at the same time telling the world about Israel’s so called right to defend itself.”

“So far, the UN emphasis has been on two-state outcomes, and how to get rid of Hamas.”

“But the world debate is moving strongly to sanctions. 

“Now is the time to move past idle rhetoric, and deliver sanctions, which are the only persuasion Israel will concede to.”

John Minto

Co-Chair PSNA

• Bay of Plenty tops ASB’s Regional Economic Scoreboard for the first time in nearly a decade.
• Signs of growth and improved confidence shift Auckland into top half of Scoreboard.
• Strong commodity prices lift Southland into second place.

Bay of Plenty has soared up the rankings to claim the top spot in ASB’s Regional Economic Scoreboard for the June 2025 quarter. The region’s strong performance was driven by a standout kiwifruit season, resilient employment growth, and rising consumer confidence.

Southland and Otago rounded out the top three spots, continuing the South Island’s economic dominance over the past year. Meanwhile, Wellington fell to the bottom of the rankings, weighed down by weak consumer sentiment and ongoing public sector restructuring.

The Scoreboard ranks New Zealand’s 16 regions across key indicators including employment, retail trade, house prices, and consumer confidence. This quarter’s results show rural regions outperforming urban centres, with commodity prices and primary sector strength driving momentum.

“It’s fair to say kiwifruit has brought home the trophy,” says ASB Chief Economist Nick Tuffley. “A strong season has boosted incomes in the Bay, supporting improvements across employment, retail, and housing.”

“The Bay’s labour market has shown impressive resilience, even as nationwide conditions remain subdued. With employment growth holding steady and optimism rising, the Bay is set for continued momentum.”

Regional highlights

• Bay of Plenty has New Zealand’s highest consumer sentiment, solid employment growth (up 3.2%, ranked second), and strong house sales (up 25.8%), despite a slight dip in construction activity.
• Southland jumped from eighth to second place this quarter, buoyed by strong commodity prices and a resilient housing market, with house prices rising 3.4% and sales up 32%.
• Otago maintained third place, supported by tourism and retail strength, though construction and housing indicators softened.
• Auckland climbed five places to rank fifth, showing signs of recovery across retail and improving consumer sentiment.
• Wellington dropped to last with house prices falling 3.3% and consumer confidence low.

“Auckland showed promising signs of life in the June quarter,” says Nick. “Strong population growth and more confident consumers helped lift activity across housing, retail and construction, pushing the City of Sails up five places to rank fifth.”

“While there’s pockets of pain, particularly around employment and house sales, the region is beginning to show the resilience we expect from the country’s largest economic centre.”

National trends

• Retail trade volumes rose 0.5% quarter-on-quarter, with annual growth at 2.3%.
• House sales increased 3.5% quarter-on-quarter, though selling times remain longer than pre-COVID norms.
• Export volumes declined 3.7% over the quarter, reflecting global headwinds and the impact of new US tariffs on NZ goods.
• Net migration continued to ease, with inflows at their lowest since November 2022.

“We’re seeing small pockets of warmth in what’s otherwise an economically chilly quarter,” says Nick. “Retail spending is holding up, and consumer confidence is showing signs of life. That’s encouraging as we head into the second half of the year.”

While inflation edged up to 2.7% and unemployment rose to 5.2%, ASB notes signs of resilience in household spending and sentiment.

Looking ahead

“The new 15% US tariffs imposed on NZ goods are expected to weigh slightly on the country’s economic recovery, but the full impact remains to be watched. Meanwhile, with a further 25bp cut to the OCR in August and an additional 50bp signalled by the RBNZ, we expect improvements are on the horizon, even if the pace is slower than initially projected.”

The full ASB Regional Economic Scoreboard, along with other recent ASB reports covering a range of commentary, can be accessed at our ASB Economic Insights page: https://www.asb.co.nz/documents/economic-insights.html

Latest ASB Regional Economic Scoreboard

About the ASB Regional Economic Scoreboard

The NZ Regional Economic Scoreboard takes the latest quarterly regional statistics and ranks the economic performance of New Zealand's 16 Regional Council areas. The fastest growing regions gain the highest ratings, and a good performance by the national economy raises the ratings of all regions. Ratings are updated every three months, and are based on 8 measures, including population, employment, retail trade, house prices, house sales, construction, consumer confidence, and new car registration.

12 September 2025 – AUCKLAND, New Zealand – The March for Humanity, organised by Aotearoa for Palestine, will proceed tomorrow as a powerful demonstration of public demand for New Zealand to impose immediate diplomatic and economic sanctions on Israel.

Despite a drastic change to the weather forecast in the last 24 hours, that now shows unsafe wind speeds on the Auckland Harbour Bridge, the march will go ahead with a changed route. The start time remains 9:30 AM, Saturday, but will now assemble at Aotea Square. The march will then proceed through the CBD, concluding at Victoria Park.

“People have travelled from across Aotearoa to join this historic protest, and tomorrow we will March for Humanity through the Auckland CBD – united in our call for the New Zealand Government to impose sanctions on Israel. Community safety is paramount, and so too is our collective voice for justice.” Said Aotearoa for Palestine spokesperson, Nadine Mortaja.

Bianca Ranson, spokesperson for Kaiāwhina marshals added, “Our foremost duty as Kaiāwhina is to protect and care for our communities. After reviewing multiple weather models, including a forecast commissioned twice from MetService specifically for the Harbour Bridge, it is clear that predicted winds of 75–85km/h make the crossing unsafe. Postponing the Harbour Bridge march is the only responsible course of action.”

This route change is not expected to dampen overwhelming public support. Mortaja confirmed, “Despite the route change, The March for Humanity will be the largest march for Palestine in New Zealand’s history. And if the government fails to listen to the people tomorrow, and uphold its duty to prevent and punish Israel’s genocide on Gaza, we are still committed to marching over the Auckland Harbour Bridge – that just wont be tomorrow.”

The organisers urge all attendees to dress appropriately for the weather and prepare for a historic and impactful day.

“Tomorrow, 140 Kaiāwhina marshals will be on the ground in the Auckland CBD to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our communities. We encourage everyone to remain steadfast and committed to the March for Humanity. We still expect thousands to turn out and make their voices heard. For those needing assistance, medics will be clearly identifiable in pink vests, and Kaiāwhina marshals in green vests will be present throughout the march to provide care and support,” Ranson added.

Event Details:

What: March for Humanity

When: Saturday, 9:30 AM

Where: NEW ROUTE – Assembling at Aotea Square, proceeding through CBD, ending at Victoria Park.

About Aotearoa for Palestine: Aotearoa for Palestine is a Palestinian- and Māori-led group, committed to the Palestinian people’s struggle for freedom, justice, and dignity in their own land.

For the first time Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) helicopters have flown between two countries, crossing a large swathe of ocean.

Two No. 3 Squadron NH90 helicopters recently flew from Cairns, in Australia, to Papua New Guinea.

The aircrews flew 453 nautical miles across the Coral Sea Basin to PNG’s capital, Port Moresby, the furthest the New Zealand NH90s have ever flown over water.  

The trip took just under four hours.

The flight followed a successful deployment to Exercise Talisman Sabre in Australia and the NH90s were than able to take part in PNG’s independence celebrations.

“It was an honour to be invited to take part in the PNG 50th Anniversary celebrations,” said Air Component Commander Air Commodore Andy Scott.

“The timing of the event after Ex Talisman Sabre provided a fantastic opportunity for our Rotary Wing team to take part both in the celebrations and in supporting the transport of critical equipment out into the provinces.”

One of the pilots who flew the journey, Flight Lieutenant Hayley Vincent, said two 500kg external gas tanks were fitted, making for a “different silhouette”.

An extra internal gas tank was also fitted, but that fuel was not required.

The unique flight was given an international Kiwi call-sign instead of the Warrior call-sign used for national flights.

Beforehand, a long-range flight from RNZAF Base Ohakea to Invercargill was carried out.

“A fuel graph was generated predicting the amount of fuel burned at various waypoints, taking into account aircraft weights and details, helping us keep an accurate track of fuel burn during the flight, with trends to help with decision making,” Flight Lieutenant Vincent said.

“It showed the expected departure fuel, the expected arrival fuel, and the minimum departure and arrival fuels, helping to calculate safe points for the aircraft to continue or turn around if necessary. Factors such as aircraft weight and extreme weather make a difference to safe decision points.”

Those calculations were essential for the Australia-to-PNG flight, where storms often gather in the afternoons around Port Moresby.

Flight Lieutenant Vincent said she felt “nervous excitement” at the start of the flight, but said there were detailed preparations.

“When we got to Papua New Guinea, there were a lot of happy faces. People were very excited to be the first Kiwi NH90 aircrew to fly from one country to another.”

“There was a celebration in the helicopter when the crew saw PNG for the first time,’’ she said.

“We saw land sooner than we thought we would, but the mountains there are massive.

“The success of the mission highlights the utility of the aircraft with long-range tanks which provided further deployment options for moving around the region when Navy ships or partner aircraft like the C-17 Globemaster are unavailable,” Flight Lieutenant Vincent said.

The crews have since returned to Australia and will continue to be based out of RAAF Townsville. Plans for the return of the aircraft to New Zealand are being finalised.