A group advocating for improved access to dental is calling on the Government to bring dental into the public healthcare system to ease cost of living pain.
Dental for All – a group of dentists, oral health therapists, unions, and poverty action groups – says that recently released research shows rising dental costs are adding to the strain faced by households.
New 2025 research published by University of Otago academics shows that between 1978 and 2023, fees for five core dental treatments increased by 75%-236% while earnings went up by 46%.
Hana Pilkinton-Ching, Dental for All spokesperson, said: “We already knew that dental care was cost-prohibitive, with almost half of us unable to afford it, but this latest research shows households dealing with high food and gas costs are also facing rising dental costs for essential care.”
The New Zealand Health Survey for 2023-2024 showed that 45% of people in New Zealand were unable to access dental care because of cost.
Pilkinton-Ching added: “We are calling on the Government to address this as a matter of urgency. There's no good medical or policy reason why dental is carved out of our public healthcare system, and with dental costs continuing to rise the Government needs to get a grip on this.”
Research shows that untreated oral healthcare problems are associated with downstream health problems, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cognitive decline and Alzheimer's.
Work previously produced by Dental for All shows that keeping dental out of our public healthcare system is costing New Zealand $2.5bn in lost productivity and $3.1bn in reduced quality of life.
The Dental for All coalition continues aroadshowthis week, travelling this evening to Whanganui, followed by further events in the coming days in New Plymouth, Hamilton, and Rotorua.
The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is calling on the Government to come clean on plans to undermine the rights of public sector workers, after Judith Collins hinted the Government was looking at options to restrict collective bargaining and the right to strike.
In comments made on Radio NZ this morning, the Public Service Minister suggested the Government was exploring “a lot of options” for public sector workers when it comes to collective bargaining.
“The PSA is seeking an urgent assurance the Minister will not be restricting the fundamental right of workers to collective bargaining and the right to withdraw their labour,” PSA national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons said.”The right to strike is a cornerstone of our democratic workplace relations system and the Government must come clean on any options they are looking at that could undermine this right.”
This Government has already demonstrated a pattern of undermining workers' rights without proper notice or consultation. It removed pay equity rights with no warning, changed the law to financially penalise workers for taking partial strike action, and Minister Collins has already deployed replacement labour during the Defence Force strike.
“We're seeing a concerning escalation in this Government's anti-worker agenda,” Fitzsimons said. “The timing of these comments comes as bargaining is underway in health and the public sector and the Government is offering below-inflation pay offers.
“This is the same Government that recently increased board directors’ pay by 80%. If the Government wants to avoid public sector strike action then it should negotiate in good faith and offer fair pay increases that recognise the rising cost of living and the valuable work our members do.”
The PSA is seeking an urgent meeting with Minister Collins to discuss these concerning comments and the Government's intentions regarding public sector workers' rights.
“We call on Minister Collins to clarify exactly what options the Government is considering and to rule out any moves to restrict the right to strike,” said Fitzsimons.
“The right to strike is protected under international law and is a fundamental principle of free and democratic societies, for workers in both the private and public sectors. Any attempt to restrict this right would be a backward step for working New Zealanders.”
Transcript from RNZ interview:
COLLINS: “…we’re fully aware that the unions have said that they are going to continue strikes and they want to have strikes that we’ll see across the public sector and that’s probably more political than it is in the interests of their members because don’t forget these partial strikes bring about a partial drop in wages as well.
DANN: “… do we just need to cut to the chase and get back to arbitration and leave it to an independent panel to make the call and then move on?”
COLLINS: “Well I think there’s going to be a lot of options that we’re looking at as a government as to how to move away from this basically yearly attack on students and also what we’re seeing with the…”
The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahiis 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.
More than $82 million was cut from asking prices in Q2 2025, nearly $20 million more than in Q1
National average reduction per listing was $40,310
Steepest single price cut was $750,000 on an Auckland lifestyle property.
Vendors across New Zealand collectively reduced their asking prices by $82 million in the second quarter of 2025, according to new data from realestate.co.nz. This was almost $20 million more than the $63 million in price reduction during the first quarter, but well below the $108 million trimmed from asking prices in the same period last year.
In Q2 2025, 2,040 properties listed on realestate.co.nz recorded a price drop, a 21.0% increase on Q1 2025 (1,686).
Vanessa Williams, spokesperson for realestate.co.nz, says the $80 million cut from property prices in Q2 suggests vendors are having to make bigger adjustments to meet market expectations.
“In Q2, we saw both the number of properties with price drops and the size of those reductions increase compared to the start of the year. While cuts aren’t as steep as they were in 2024, sellers are clearly making bigger moves to meet buyers and get deals across the line. This tells us buyers are in a strong position and many vendors are more willing to negotiate to secure a sale.”
The data compares the difference between a property’s initial asking price when listed on realestate.co.nz and its price at the point of sale or withdrawal. Although this isn’t the same as the final sale price, it does provide a clear signal of how much sellers have adjusted their expectations to meet buyer interest.
Premium markets lead price drops per listing
Nationally, there was an average of $40,310 trimmed from the 2,040 listed properties which reported a price drop in Q2.
The region with the largest total price drop was Auckland with $20,529,579, followed by Waikato with a total price drop of $9,443,509, and Wellington with $8,203,001. The regions with the lowest price drops in Q2 were: West Coast, $248,000; Gisborne, $270,000; and Wairarapa, $1,026,500.
The five largest single reductions were all in premium markets; the greatest of which was a property in Auckland, listed for $6,500,000 with a final asking price of $5,750,000, a price drop of $750,000. In Q1 2025,the largest price drop was also in Auckland. The property was originally listed for $4,899,500 and then reduced to $4,295,000 – a reduction of $604, 500.
“The biggest cuts are happening at the top end of the market, where a single adjustment can run into hundreds of thousands of dollars,” says Williams. “At the same time, many regional markets are seeing only modest reductions, showing just how varied price movement is across the country.”
Williams says although the market is stagnant, it doesn’t mean well-priced properties aren’t selling. If sellers meet buyers' price expectations, the market will move, she adds.
Buyers using realestate.co.nz to search for a property will be notified of any price reduction to their saved listings.
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“As NZ continues its energy transition, pressures to maintain an affordable and secure energy system are climbing. Within this context it is important to keep track of how the country is performing on the global stage.
“Over the last decade the World Energy Council’s annual trilemma report has provided this invaluable context, but due to major overhauls, is not releasing one this year.
“While not a direct replacement for the trilemma report, our research has benchmarked NZ against a diverse group of countries, selected on the basis of top and bottom trilemma placings, economic and geographic similarities, and importance as trading partners.”
The report includes notable insights into how other countries manage their energy sectors, including:
– China's strategy of cross-subsidised pricing to combat hardship;
– Ireland’s economic management given relatively high energy prices;
– The consequences of capacity payments within Pakistan’s energy sector;
– Diverse national approaches to achieving energy security; and
– Iceland’s accomplishment of nearly 80% renewable energy consumption.
“Although the primary purpose of this report is not to rank countries but rather to highlight opportunities for improvement, it is noteworthy that NZ performs well, achieving an overall ranking of 5 th within the 16 countries considered.
“Continued improvement when compared to NZ’s international peers is essential for ensuring NZ business competitiveness while continuing the push towards net-zero emissions,” Tina Schirr said.
New Zealand property owners are realising the lowest rate of resale profits in more than 10 years, as subdued values and elevated stock levels continue to give buyers the upper hand.
Cotality NZ’s latest Pain & Gain Report shows 89.4% of properties resold for more than their original purchase price in the June 2025 quarter, down from 90.7% in the March quarter and the lowest rate since mid-2014.
The Pain & Gain Report analyses homes resold during the quarter, comparing the most recent sale price to the property’s previous sale price, determining whether the sale made a gross profit (gain) or a gross loss (pain).
Cotality NZ’s July Home Value Index (HVI) showed national property values remain more than 16% below their post-COVID peak, despite more recent signs of stabilisation.
Cotality NZ Chief Property Economist Kelvin Davidson said while the resale performance of property had softened in recent years, most vendors were still achieving a gain.
“Nearly nine out of 10 resellers are still making a gross profit, which in many cases is a substantial amount of money,” Mr Davidson said.
“However, the results reflect the fact that values are still well down from the peak in many areas and buyers with finance approved continue to hold most of the pricing power.”
The national median resale gain in Q2 2025 was $279,000, well below the late-2021 peak of $440,000, but still above anything seen prior to late 2020. The median loss was $52,500.
Hold periods a key factor
The length of time a property is owned before resale remains one of the strongest indicators of whether it will sell for a profit or a loss, with the current market conditions amplifying that effect, Mr Davidson said.
As a critical driver of resale outcomes, he said longer hold periods generally allow values to appreciate enough to smooth out any cyclical downturns.
“In the June quarter, the median hold period for a gain was 9.4 years, which is the longest in our data since the mid-1990s. For a loss, it was just 3.5 years,” he said.
“That’s particularly relevant now, because 3.5 years ago was effectively the market peak when prices were very high and interest rates were already climbing. For some of the buyers at that time, any unforeseen change in circumstances since, such as a job loss, could have resulted in a forced sale at a lower price than expected.”
Houses outperform apartments
Standalone houses continued to outperform apartments, though both sectors softened. In Q2 2025, 9.8% of houses resold at a loss, compared with 33.8% of apartments.
“This should not be interpreted as a sign of collapse in the apartment sector, however. The tendency for apartments to see less price growth over time always means they’re a greater chance to see gross losses, especially if resold into a weak market,” he said.
Median resale gains for houses were $276,000, while for apartments the figure was $110,750. Median losses were broadly similar at $50,000 for houses and $55,000 for apartments.
The share of owner-occupier resales made at a loss was 10.1%, similar for investors (10.7%), with no evidence of investors exiting the market at fire-sale prices.
“Recent tax changes, together with lower mortgage rates, have eased the pressure on landlords, and the data doesn’t point to any large-scale sell-off,” Mr Davidson said.
Main centres
Christchurch was the most resilient of the main centres, with 4.9% of Q2 resales made at a loss, well below the national figure of 10.6%. At the other end of the spectrum for the main centres, Auckland recorded the highest proportion of loss-making sales at 15.9%, followed by Tauranga (13.2%) and Wellington (11.9%).
Median resale gains in dollar terms told a different story. Tauranga recorded the highest nominal resale value at $373,500, ahead of Auckland ($350,000) and Wellington ($340,000), while Christchurch had the lowest among the main centres at $263,500.
Mr Davidson said the apparent contradiction between resilience and dollar gains reflected different market dynamics.
“In Christchurch, prices didn’t climb to the same heights as Auckland or Wellington during the boom, so there’s been less distance to fall, and fewer owners pushed into a loss-making position,” he said.
“The flip side is that because the market has generally been more affordable, the resale gains tend to be smaller in dollar terms.”
“In Auckland, you’ve got higher-value properties generating bigger absolute gains for those who bought before the peak, but you’ve also got more recent purchasers who paid top prices and are now more exposed to selling at a loss.”
Regional insights
Outside the main centres, resale performance varied widely. Queenstown continued to stand out, with its share of loss-making sales edging up slightly to 3.6% but delivering median gains of $565,500.
Mr Davidson said this aligned with the area’s HVI results, which shows values in the region are only 6.6% below their peak with no sustained weakness despite national price falls over the past three years.
“Queenstown’s unique mix of limited supply, strong domestic and international demand, and high-end property has underpinned its resilience,” he said.
“Even when volumes slow, sellers in these markets are rarely forced to sell at a discount and buyers are often prepared to pay a premium for the lifestyle and location.”
Rotorua also recorded strong resale gains at $310,000, while other areas saw greater signs of strain. Kaipara (17.9% of sales at a loss) and Rangitīkei (20.0%) were among the smaller districts with the highest proportions of loss-making resales, possibly reflecting localised market pressures.
Outlook
Mr Davidson said the Pain & Gain results for the rest of the year would be closely aligned to the movements in property values, adding that migration tr
Bold action is needed to accelerate New Zealand’s transition to cleaner, more energy-efficient homes and businesses, says energy efficiency expert Dr Chris Mardon.
“Two ways are subsidising hot water heat pumps through the Warmer Kiwi Homes initiative, and helping homeowners improve energy efficiency through a Ratings Assistance Scheme,’ says energy efficiency expert Dr Chris Mardon.
Both are recommended in an excellent report by the New Zealand Green Building Council.[1]
“These initiatives would expand the use of hot water heat pumps across the country, modernise heating systems, reducing carbon emissions, and lower energy bills for Kiwi households.
“Hot water heat pumps are among the most efficient technologies available for residential and commercial water heating. By using electricity to transfer heat rather than generate it directly, these systems can reduce energy use by up to 75% compared to traditional electric or gas water heaters.
“Many countries offer incentives to homeowners and landlords to install hot water heat pumps – but not in New Zealand.
“Consequently, hardly any New Zealand homes and businesses have hot water heat pumps, with most using less efficient electric elements or gas water heaters. Hot water heat pumps are more efficient but they’re also – currently – more expensive, so their installation needs to be encouraged.
“To make heat pumps and hot water heat pumps more accessible, subsidies should be offered to both homes and businesses—mirroring successful programmes in Canada, the US, Europe, and Victoria, Australia. These incentives could be delivered through the Warmer Kiwi Homes programme,” Mardon says.
“Another method is the proposed Ratepayer Assistance Scheme (RAS), which allows ratepayers to borrow money to install energy efficient appliances such as hot water heat pumps, with repayments made over time through rates bills. A RAS is under development but requires enabling legislation.
“Together, these measures would represent a transformative shift in how New Zealand heats its homes and buildings—ushering in a cleaner, more resilient energy future,” Mardon says.
Aotearoa New Zealand needs five times more Māori nurses if the workforce is to reflect the Māori population and be able to provide culturally safe health care, a new report shows.
The report “Growing, but not fast enough: Māori nursing workforce insights” was written by economic consultancy company Infometrics and released at the Indigenous Nurses Aotearoa Conference in Rotorua tomorrow – Thursday – when about 300 Māori nurses from throughout the country gather.
Te Rūnanga o Aotearoa NZNO Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku says the report shows Aotearoa New Zealand needs about 1,350 more Māori nurses a year for the next decade to achieve population parity.
“That would mean increasing the number of Māori nurses entering the workforce from the current 300 a year to almost 1,650 – a five-fold increase.
“This is an intense number and shows the intense need we have to ensure Māori get the culturally safe and appropriate nursing they need. Research shows culturally safe nursing is key to achieving better outcomes for Māori.
“Health leaders, Māori leaders, academics, economists and the media have been asking what an effective Māori nursing workforce would look like. Now, thanks to this report, we know,” she says.
“What better place to highlight this need, the economics of Māori nursing, at the country’s largest gathering of Māori nurses.
“I’m so concerned about the future of Māori health – this country’s health. These numbers are so intense and would appear like mission impossible under this Government. But it is our duty to call for what is best for the health of our people,” Kerri Nuku says.
Currently Māori make up 18% of the New Zealand population but only 7.4 per cent of the nursing workforce and Māori are dying seven years lower than non-Māori, the report found.
About 27,000 Māori enrolments in nursing training were needed as less than two-thirds of Māori nurse trainees complete their qualification, it found. In 2023, a total of 3,230 students enrolled in registered nurse training but only 435 of them were Māori.
“The report also confirms for us what we’ve always known – Māori nurses are more likely to help keep Māori out of hospital by identifying the risk of preventable illnesses, enabling early intervention and saving the health system money,” Kerri Nuku says.
The report also suggests numbers needed for a 20-to-30-year timeframe and workforce policy commitment.
This year's annual conference theme isMauri oro, mauri reo, mauri orawhich speaks to a return to vibration, voice and wellbeing through the lens of mātauranga Māori. The prestigious Akenehi Hei award will be presented on Friday morning while the Tapuhi Kaitiaki Awards – the Māori nurse awards – will be presented that evening.
Over $900 million of the savings of New Zealand investors is invested in weapons companies, including those supplying the conflict in Gaza:
New research shows KiwiSaver Investment in weapons companies has surged by 40.9% to $392.4 million
Managed fund investments also grew to reach $509.2 million by March 2025.
There is increasing New Zealand investment in companies supplying the Gaza conflict:
$71.9 million of KiwiSaver and retail funds invested in weapons companies
$179.9 million invested in two other non-weapons companies.
Annual survey data shows that 80% of Kiwis want to avoid investing in weapons
Comprehensive new analysis by charity Mindful Money reveals New Zealand KiwiSaver funds have dramatically increased their investment in weapons companies, with total weapons investments reaching $392.4 million – a staggering 40.9% increase from the previous year.
The research exposes how KiwiSaver providers are seeking short term profits from war. A contributor to the increase was a surge in sales of military weapons used in the bombardment of Gaza. New Zealand investment in the production of weapons used in Gaza, through KiwiSaver and retail investment funds, totalled $71.9 million a rise of 18.9% over the year to end March 2025.
The latest annual survey revealed that 80% of New Zealand investors want to avoid investing in weapons. But the surge in weapons investment by KiwiSaver and investment funds shows the growing misalignment with the values of KiwiSaver investors during some of the world's deadliest conflicts since World War II.
Barry Coates, Mindful Money Founder and CEO commented: “There has been a huge rise in weapons investment by New Zealanders. The chase for higher returns means that Kiwis’ hard-earned savings are being used to invest in companies whose weapons have resulted in the devastation of Gaza.”
Gaza Conflict Connections Raise Ethical Concerns
Few New Zealanders realise there is a direct connection between their savings and companies supplying weapons to the Gaza conflict. In addition to New Zealand's retail investment in weapons companies, there has been a major increase in New Zealand investment in non-weapons companies supporting operations in Gaza, such as Caterpillar and Amphenol. Investment in those two companies alone totalled $189 million, up 39% over the year to end March 2025.
Few KiwiSaver fund providers tell their customers that their hard-earned savings are being invested in companies complicit in a brutal conflict that has led to mass killing and starvation of Gaza’s people. So far the conflict has resulted in the deaths of 2,000 Israelis and 63,000 Palestinians according to official figures, although this does not include many others missing under rubble or those who have died from starvation.
Barry Coates said: “We can all see evidence of Palestinians being killed trying to get food for their starving children. The companies supporting the weapons, ammunition, bulldozers and technology need to be held to account for their actions. They should not be benefiting from our investment.”
Global Weapons Industry Boom Drives Investment Returns
The surge in New Zealand weapons investments reflects a broader global boom in the defence industry driven by multiple major conflicts. The S&P Aerospace & Defence Industry has seen extraordinary growth with a 16.5% increase in the past year alone and a staggering 307% growth over the past decade.
This growth has been accelerated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, as well as internal conflicts within countries and regional tensions worldwide. Weapons companies have recorded higher short term profits, leading to huge investment increases from KiwiSaver and investment providers chasing higher returns.
The Values Gap: 80% Opposition vs Growing Investment
The findings reveal a stark disconnect between New Zealanders' stated values and where their retirement savings are actually invested. Research shows that 80% of New Zealanders want to avoid investing in weapons companies through their KiwiSaver or investment funds. Yet investments in this sector continue to surge.
This gap highlights a fundamental challenge in the KiwiSaver system. Many New Zealanders may be unknowingly funding companies involved in conflicts, through their retirement savings, even though they personally oppose that use of their funds. Few if any KiwiSaver providers have asked their customers if they agree to more of their savings being used for investments linked to civilian deaths and human rights violations on a massive scale.
Barry Coates explained: “When Kiwis go online to see Mindful Money’s free disclosure of their investments, many are shocked to find they are invested in issues such as weapons. A typical reaction is “I didn’t sign up for this.” They can and should challenge their fund providers. Or, if they are not satisfied, they can use the Mindful Money website to find a fund that does not invest in weapons.”
Managed Funds Show Similar Patterns
The weapons investment surge isn't limited to KiwiSaver funds. The analysis reveals that managed fund investments in weapons grew to $509.2 million by March 2025. Firearms companies increased by 64%, while military weapons investments in managed funds grew by 24% over the previous year. This shows the trend toward increasing weapons investments spans across New Zealand's broader investment landscape.
Barry Coates pointed out: “Many Kiwis recognise that weapons are necessary for defence, but they don’t want their savings supporting weapons companies that indiscriminately sell their weapons to whoever will pay. All too often weapons from major NATO suppliers end up being used in conflicts where human rights are violated.”
Walmart Leads Firearms Investment Surge
KiwiSaver investment in companies producing and selling firearms has more than doubled, with a 110% increase. This is despite heightened awareness amongst the New Zealand public about the dangers of weapons proliferation in the wake of the Christchurch Mosque shootings.
The most dramatic individual company increase involves Walmart, where New Zealand KiwiSaver investment reached $115.8 million – representing a massive 144% increase over the year and 40% growth in just six months. While primarily a general merchandise retailer, Walmart sells shotguns, rifles, ammunition, and firearm components like scopes at stores across the United States.
Walmart has made progress in the wake of widespread concern over mass shootings in the US. They have raised the minimum age for firearm purchases to 21, stopped selling handguns and certain rifles like the AR-15, and no longer offer ammunition for military-style weapons. However, they continue to sell other weapons alongside food, clothing and hardware items.
QPEC totally condemns the decision to sabotage At the Marae. In its explanation, the Ministry actually acknowledges “these words reflect everyday language used in classrooms and communities.”
Then in the same sentence, in an embarrassing display of pedagogical rigidity, the Ministry claims “the higher number [six words] presented decoding challenges within the phonics sequence used in the series.”
The evidence worldwide suggests the opposite.
From the 1960s onwards, projects like the Bilingual Education Project at the Ontario Institute of Education in Toronto have established quite categorically that young children have a natural ability to absorb several languages at the same time, without damage to other functioning like learning to read.
Indeed, acquiring more than one language leads to greater verbal ability in general.
In Aotearoa NZ, te reo Māori has the added advantage of a close fit between print and sound — closer than there is between English language print and sound.
So one irony of the Ministry decision is that censoring Māori words will actually limit both the development of reading abilities and the advantages of bilingualism.
And another is the ludicrous decision to delete Māori words from a book that focuses on the Marae, the central location of Māori culture.
We should bear in mind that the decision may have less to do with the Ministry and much to do with the prejudices of the Coalition Government.
As Waatea reports, Bruce Jepsen, president of Te Akatea, the Māori Principals’ Association, says the decision not to reprint “At the Marae” was racist and white supremacist. We agree.
Federated Farmers says a report back to Parliament on the so-called ‘ban on carbon forestry’ doesn’t go far enough to stop the march of pines across New Zealand’s productive farmland.
“This is an incredibly disappointing result and many farmers will be feeling a total sense of betrayal,” Federated Farmers forestry spokesperson Richard Dawkins says.
“Despite widespread feedback during consultation, and clear cross-party support for action, massive loopholes remain in the Environment Select Committee’s recommendations.
