Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

1 September 2025 – Tyrewise, Aotearoa New Zealand’s first regulated product stewardship scheme for tyres, is celebrating its first year of operation with nearly 4 million end-of-life tyres collected for recycling or repurposing into other useful products and over 5,000 registered partners across the country.

“Tyrewise isn’t just New Zealand’s first regulated product stewardship scheme, it’s also the most successful product stewardship scheme in the country to date,” says Adele Rose, CEO of 3R Group, Tyrewise Scheme Managers.

The scheme has surpassed its targets for tyres collected and processed into tyre-derived materials since it began operating on 1 September last year, Adele says. “That’s encouraging, as it has a target of 80% of tyres recycled and repurposed into other useful products within Aotearoa New Zealand by its fourth year, and over 90% by its sixth year.”

As part of the strategy to develop end markets and support the domestic economy, expressions of interest in funding were recently invited. This attracted over 60 applications across research and development, emerging markets, and community development categories.

“It’s exciting to see such an interest in the fund. A major goal of Tyrewise is to help develop innovative, high-value onshore uses and unlock the value in the circular economy for end-of-life tyres. Tyres are going from being a waste stream to a resource which creates jobs and adds value to the New Zealand economy, rather than being illegally dumped, stockpiled or landfilled,” Adele says.

Mark Gilbert, Chair of Auto Stewardship New Zealand, which governs the Tyrewise scheme, says the success of the scheme comes down in large part to its registered partners. “Those registered partners, the importers, retailers, tyre fitters, transporters, recyclers and public collection sites make up the scheme. Without them doing the mahi, what we have achieved so far wouldn’t be possible, and we thank them for their work thus far and look forward to continuing the momentum,” Mark says.

Tyrewise operates a nationwide collection and recycling system, funded through a Tyre Stewardship Fee which is charged on all new tyres sold in the New Zealand market, replacing previous ad hoc disposal fees.  Critically, this has removed the impact of free riders who don’t participate under a voluntary scheme.

It means members of the tyre industry around the country have access to a collection service through a network of registered partner transporters, with retailers retaining end of life tyres from customers for collection. Members of the public can also dispose of up to five tyres at a time for free at public collection sites around the motu.

About Tyrewise

Tyrewise is Aotearoa’s first regulated product stewardship scheme. It minimises the environmental impacts of end-of-life tyres by working with the whole tyre industry to ensure tyres are collected from registered partners so they can be recycled and repurposed into other useful products.  

The scheme is accredited by the Ministry for the Environment, and is operated by Auto Stewardship New Zealand, a not-for-profit trust which acts as the Product Stewardship Organisation. It is funded by the tyre stewardship fee charged on imported tyres.

Covering period of Monday 1st – Friday 5th August – Winter wrapped up with some of the harshest winds recorded in August.

Southerly winds are ushering in cooler air, leading to frosty mornings in places.

Severe gale southwesterly winds are expected for Stewart Island today, where a Strong Wind Warning has been issued.  

Strong Wind Watches are in place for Hawke’s Bay (south of Hastings), the Tararua District, Dunedin, Clutha, Southland (south of Gore), and the Chatham Islands.  

Road Snowfall Warnings are in effect for Arthur's Pass (SH73), Lindis Pass (SH8), Crown Range Road, and Milford Road (SH94) over the next two days.

Today’s weather:
The start of meteorological spring brings calmer, more settled conditions to the North Island, with mostly light showers and plenty of sunshine in the east. In contrast, the South Island woke to cloudier skies and showers, some heavy with thunderstorms and gusts up to 90 km/h on the West Coast, as a cold front moved up the island.
That front will sweep quickly up the country, followed by a second front that will prolong rain and snowfall in the South Island. Cooler southerlies trailing behind will drop overnight lows, leading to widespread frosts.
 
Looking ahead:
By midweek, a high-pressure system will bring more settled conditions nationwide. However, the West Coast of the South Island will continue to see rain, possibly heavy at times, persisting into Thursday, while the rest of the country stays mostly settled.
The week ahead looks mostly calm with plenty of sunshine, aside from a few light showers this evening and possibly again Tuesday afternoon.
MetService Meteorologist Kgolofelo Dube says, “This is good news for participants and supporters at the Zespri AIMS Games, which runs through to Friday 5 September in Tauranga Moana.”
 
Watches & Warnings (next two days):

Strong Wind Warning – Stewart Island: 11am – 6pm Monday, 1 Sept

Strong Wind Watch – Hawke's Bay (south of Hastings) & Tararua District: 11am – midnight, Monday 1 Sept

 Strong Wind Watch – Dunedin, Clutha, Southland (south of Gore): 1pm – 8pm, Monday 1 Sept

Strong Wind Watch – Chatham Islands: 5am – 10 am Tuesday, 2 Sept

Road Snowfall Warning – Arthur's Pass (SH73): Midnight Monday – 10am Tuesday, 2 Sept

Road Snowfall Warning – Lindis Pass (SH8): 6am – 8am Tuesday, 2 Sept

 Road Snowfall Warning – Crown Range Road: Midnight Monday – 9am Tuesday, 2 Sept

 Road Snowfall Warning – Milford Road (SH94): 10pm Monday – 9am Tuesday, 2 Sept

Expect possible damage to trees, powerlines, and unsecured structures. Driving may be hazardous, especially for high-sided vehicles and motorcycles. Please keep up to date with the most current information from MetService at http://bit.ly/metservicenz

Open Country announced it has finalised a deal to acquire 100% of Miraka Limited (Miraka).

Open Country CEO Mark de Lautour said the opportunity to purchase Miraka happened quickly and made sense for the business.

“We have admired the Miraka location and milk supply network for a long period given it sits nicely between our Whanganui and Waikato operations.  While we are still completing our recent Mataura Valley Milk acquisition, we were immediately interested when the opportunity came along to look at Miraka.

“We really believe that our 100% NZ-owned company culture, strong customer relationships and scale makes this a good, strategic fit.  The shareholders of both Miraka and Open Country believe the deal provides clear benefits for the combined business.” 

Open Country currently operates four dairy ingredient manufacturing sites around New Zealand, located in Horotiu, Waharoa, Whanganui and Awarua.  It will soon add a fifth site, Mataura Valley Milk near Gore, once its conditional acquisition agreement with current shareholders is finalised.

De Lautour said the acquisition of Miraka bolsters Open Country’s footprint across the Central North Island.

“If you look at where our plants are based, we already have a very strong presence in northern Waikato and Taranaki/Manawatu.  Adding Miraka, which is geographically located in the middle of these two areas, gives us a solid footprint into the southern Waikato.

“Over time, the ideal geographic position of Miraka means Open Country can optimise our milk collection across the wider region.  Our increased scale throughout the Central North Island allows us to realise some important efficiencies.”

Founded in 2010, Miraka became operational with its first batch of milk powder exports in August 2011 and has grown its production to around 300 million litres of milk per year.

Miraka will continue to operate under its current name and brand in the market, and all milk supply contracts remain in place.

“Even though the Miraka team will operate under its own brand, we will work hard to ensure their suppliers and staff feel a part of the wider Open Country team.”

A fine handed to Jetstar for misleading passengers about their rights is one of the largest penalties issued under New Zealand’s Fair Trading Act.

“This is a landmark case. A $2.25 million penalty sends a clear message that airlines cannot mislead passengers and expect to get away with it,” says Consumer NZ chief executive Jon Duffy.

The fine follows a Commerce Commission investigation triggered by numerous complaints, including one put forward by Consumer in October 2022. Jetstar admitted to multiple breaches of the Fair Trading Act after misleading passengers about what they were entitled to when flights were delayed or cancelled for reasons within the airline’s control.

According to the commission, Jetstar misled tens of thousands of consumers about their rights to compensation under the Civil Aviation Act 2023 and their rights to make a claim in the first place.

“This wasn’t just poor service. These were embedded practices that left people out of pocket when the law actually offered them protection,” says Duffy. “Passengers often didn’t know their rights and were actively misled by this conduct.”

Under the Civil Aviation Act, travellers have clear rights when delays or cancellations are within an airline’s control. But currently, airlines are not required to tell passengers about those entitlements. Consumer has long called for this to change.

We met with associate transport minister James Meager last month and urged him to recommend regulations that would require airlines to communicate passengers’ rights clearly. He could do this easily and quickly under existing powers in the Civil Aviation Act.

“We need rules that protect travellers and ensure fair treatment. Without that, airlines profit from passengers’ confusion. There should be no place for that kind of behaviour in a competitive aviation market,” says Duffy.

We acknowledge Jetstar has improved its service since the complaint was filed. The airline has engaged with Consumer and the Commerce Commission, sought advice on complaints, improved communication with passengers and committed to putting things right for affected passengers. As a result, we have noticed a significant reduction in the number of complaints we receive about Jetstar.

“Jetstar has made changes and, in doing so, has shown that, when held accountable, airlines can lift their game. This outcome sets a higher standard for the whole industry and reinforces the fact that doing right by passengers is good for business,” says Duffy.

The cost of building a home remains relatively stable, giving builders and developers greater certainty on price.

In QV CostBuilder’s latest quarterly update for August, approximately 11,700 new material and labour prices were applied to its database of more than 60,000 rates across Auckland, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin.

The average cost of constructing a standard one- or two-storey 150–230m² home in these centres rose just 0.2% over the past three months, following a 0.3% rise in the first half of 2025 and is in sharp contrast to the 44% increases seen between 2020 and 2024.

“Construction cost inflation has remained very subdued this quarter, with annual growth continuing to ease, down slightly to 1.2%, compared to 1.3% last quarter,” says QV CostBuilder quantity surveyor Martin Bisset.

The most notable price movements this quarter were Grade 500 reinforcing rods, up nearly 14%, and with the 16mm reinforcing rods up more than 30% in both Wellington and Dunedin. Other main contributors to the overall cost changes in Q3 were reinforcing mesh, fill material, and insulation,” he said.

Recent regulatory reforms may impact building costs in the medium term including the overhaul of building consents, the shift to proportionate liability, and the new rules on overseas products under the Building Product Specifications (BPS).

While these changes are intended to improve efficiency, competition, and supply resilience, the new overseas product rules aren’t expected to materially affect costs within the next six months. “Their success will depend on how well they are implemented and adopted across the industry. QV CostBuilder will track these materials alongside current ones if we can obtain rates from our suppliers,” he said.

More efficient consent processes should mean quicker approvals and earlier start dates, reducing upfront costs, though not the overall cost of a build. However, Bisset said, “Proportionate liability is harder to assess until details are finalised. If warranties are required, those costs will likely be passed on to developers and homeowners, and history tells us there can be challenges—for example, councils often carried the burden of leaky building claims when builders were no longer in business.”

Looking ahead, Bisset says many firms remain under financial strain, with conditions still subdued in the short term.

“The industry is waiting for the economy to improve before committing to new projects. Government moves to amend the RMA, open the door to overseas materials, and streamline consents are helpful, but restarting stalled projects would also provide much-needed confidence.”

“From 2026, stronger growth is expected as major transport, health, and education projects ramp up. For now, cost growth remains in check, providing welcome stability after several turbulent years.”

In the meantime, costs for non-residential buildings (excluding educational buildings) also rose modestly by 0.2% this quarter, with an annual cost increase of 1.0%. “Bear in mind that all of these figures are averages and the true cost of construction will always depend on the level of finishes, internal layout, and all manner of other elements,” Mr. Bisset added.

QV CostBuilder is New Zealand’s most comprehensive subscription-based building cost platform. In this update, more than 11,700 current material prices were applied to its database of more than 60,000 rates, generating about 14,900 changes to the data across six centres.

Powered by state-owned enterprise Quotable Value, QV CostBuilder’s comprehensive database covers everything from the building costs per square metre for banks, schools, and office buildings, to the approximate cost per sheet of GIB and more than 8,000 other items. It also includes labour rates, labour constants, and much more.

Visit QV CostBuilder at costbuilder.qv.co.nz.