Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

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Health and Employment – Theatre nurses in Whangārei to strike – NZNO

Source: New Zealand Nurses Organisation

Te Whatu Ora theatre nurses and health care assistants at Whangārei Hospital who are NZNO members will strike next Tuesday over concerns about chronic and ongoing staff shortages.
The New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) perioperative nurses and health care assistants – from the surgical admission unit, theatre and post anaesthetic units – will undertake three rolling four-hour strikes beginning at 7am and ending at 7pm on Tuesday 24 June.
NZNO delegate and perioperative nurse Steph Moule says the nurses and health care assistants are standing up for their patients.
“This stand is part of the current collective agreement bargaining between NZNO and Te Whatu Ora. Our patients deserve safe staffing levels. Not burnt out nurses and health care assistants who don’t have time to give them the care they need.
“Our patients deserve better. Our members will not accept patient safety being threatened by unrealistic budget cuts.”
Steph Moule says overworked nurses and health care assistants are also facing an effective pay cut.
“The latest offer made by Te Whatu Ora offered a 1% wage increase this year backdated and a further 1% next April. That doesn’t keep up with the cost of living and will see nurses and health care workers and their whānau going backwards financially,” she says.
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Local News – Aotea Lagoon southern area re-opens – Porirua

Source: Porirua City Council

After eight months of work, the south end of Aotea Lagoon in Porirua is open for the public to enjoy.
The project to make this popular place in Porirua safer, more inviting and modern was officially opened on Thursday (19 June) and the upgrade includes:
– New toilets
– A wider and more open entrance
– Updated lighting
– A new lawn and events space, with a Rotary boardwalk and native wetland planting (about 2000 plants have been put in)
– A pathway out to the Aotea Lions train (there used to be just one way in and out), with the train station area repaired and painted
– Increased shade with three large trees planted, and shade over the seated area too
– A more prominent spot for the Guy Ngan sculpture
– An additional disabled car park in the southern car park
The work, carried out by John Fillmore Contracting, has made this part of Aotea Lagoon accessible and safer, Porirua Mayor Anita Baker says.
“There is better visibility, more than one exit, and it’s a lovely, open space that Porirua residents and the many visitors that come, will enjoy,” she says.
Julian Emeny, Manager Parks, says working with Rotary – who built the original rose garden 40 years ago – for a positive outcome has made the project special.
“What we have now, for an area of Aotea Lagoon that was starting to show its age, is a place where we can hold different events, like concerts and school performances, and somewhere the public can book,” he says.
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Israel’s NZ Energy Deals In Spotlight – PSNA congratulates Mercury Energy abandoning contract with Israel’s Ormat Technologies but Contact Energy should follow

Source: Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA)

Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa is congratulating Mercury Energy’s terminating its contract with Israel’s Ormat Technologies to design the Ngatamariki geothermal power station near Taupo.

PSNA Co-Chair Maher Nazzal says it appears Mercury has acknowledged the legal jeopardy of Israeli companies operating throughout the world.

“The International Court of Justice last year declared Israel’s presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is illegal and called on everyone to stop giving ‘aid or assistance’ to Israel which will help it to maintain its illegal occupation.”

“Mercury’s decision is in line the ICJ findings and we welcome it as a victory for the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions campaign to isolate Israel.”

“No New Zealand companies should have any dealings with Israel, either directly or indirectly.”

“Israel is a rogue genocide and apartheid state – a threat and an embarrassment to all of humanity,” Nazal says.“But the Ormat contract with Mercury is not the only one.  We are now renewing our calls on Contact Energy to do the same and cut its links with Ormat Technologies.”

“If Contact doesn’t follow Mercury, then I’m sure many electricity consumers will take the Israeli connection in mind and so switch from Contact to Mercury.”

Maher Nazzal

Co-Chair PSNA

 

Here is a copy of the letter we sent to Contact Energy in November last year:

15 November 2024

Mike Fuge

Chief Executive Officer

Contact Energy

 

c/o Louise Wright

Head of Communications and Reputation

Kia ora Mr Fuge,

Contact Energy partnering with the racist apartheid state of Israel

We noted your media release of 13 November 2024 (“Contact invests to redevelop Wairakei”) which confirms Contact is investing to begin replacing the Wairakei geothermal power station.

What your release doesn’t mention is that you are intending to partner with an Israeli company, Ormat Technologies, through an Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contract to build the new plant. Ormat has confirmed this in their own announcement dated a day earlier.

It is not tenable for Contact Energy to sign off on this agreement and we are requesting the company withdraw from doing so immediately. Signing this proposed agreement would be a kick in the teeth for Palestinians suffering from industrial-scale slaughter at the hands of the apartheid state of Israel in which Ormat Technologies is embedded.

Ormat Technologies has its main production facilities based in Yavne, Israel. Yavne is a city build over the Palestinian town of Yibna from which Palestinians were ethnically cleansed in 1948 and to which they have sought their right of return since 1948, only to be denied by racist Israeli policies.

That Contact would even consider signing an agreement with an Israeli company in light of Palestinian calls for BDS (Boycott Divestment and Sanctions) against Israel and particularly after 13 months of genocide where most of the 43,000 confirmed victims have been women and children – is an outrage which makes a mockery of your carefully-crafted corporate story which claims to be based on “tikanga” and principles of respect for people and the planet.

We urge you to do the right thing today and dismantle your links with Ormat and any associated Israeli companies. Palestinians and Palestinian New Zealanders have the right to demand no less from you.

Please respond without unnecessary delay. 

Ngā mihi.

Nā,

 

John Minto

National Chair PSNA

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Greenpeace submits against the Regulatory Standards Bill and its far-right fringe ideas

Source: Greenpeace

Greenpeace Aotearoa has today filed its submission opposing the Regulatory Standards Bill and calling for it to be rejected in full.
The Greenpeace submission has pulled no punches, stating:
“Dressed up in the language of freedom and liberty, this Bill promotes a fringe libertarian worldview that individuals and corporations are entitled to harm nature and others, and if restrictions are placed on them, then they should be compensated.”
“This ideology is fundamentally at odds with our nation’s deeply-rooted values of fairness, care, and collective responsibility.”
“At its core, this Bill is an attempt by a far-right politician to create a bill of rights for corporations, at the expense of the rights of New Zealanders, the rights of nature, and the rights of Māori guaranteed to them under Te Tiriti o Waitangi.”
“If enacted, it will, without doubt, erode environmental protection, lead to the extinction of precious native wildlife, and impair the Government’s ability to take action on climate change.”
The Greenpeace Aotearoa submission goes on to warn that the Bill would open the floodgates for corporations to expect taxpayer handouts for any regulation that protects public health and the environment, or tries to manage the cost of living. It gives a series of chilling examples:
  • If rules were strengthened to prevent catastrophic oil spills such as the Deepwater Horizon disaster, the executives at BP oil would expect millions from the taxpayer.
  • Basic protections for our drinking water or lakes and rivers, would see Fonterra making complaints to an unelected regulatory standards board and expecting a public payout.
  • Supermarket giants would expect compensation for any efforts to limit price gouging and bring down grocery prices.
  • Offshore shareholders of multinational forestry companies would expect a payout for any new laws compelling them to prevent further deaths of New Zealand forestry workers.
  • Even the Tobacco industry would expect taxpayer dollars simply for efforts to save New Zealanders' lives and get us to a smoke-free reality.
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Exercise NZ – International Yoga Day 2025: Yoga’s Timeless Path to Well-being

Source: Exercise NZ

Saturday, June 21st, marks International Yoga Day,  a global celebration of one of the world's oldest and most holistic forms of movement and mindfulness. With origins dating back over 5,000 years in India, yoga has transcended borders and generations to become a powerful global movement with over 300 million people practising worldwide today.

Research-based evidence continues to grow, supporting the notion that yoga benefits all aspects of our overall well-being, including mental, emotional, social, and physical health. Encouragingly, yoga participation in Aotearoa remains steady,  a reflection of its lasting appeal and value. Increasingly, Kiwis are recognising that the true benefits of yoga unfold through consistent, ongoing practice. As one of the most effective, accessible, and sustainable paths to overall well-being, yoga offers long-term rewards for those who embrace it as part of their lifestyle. With different styles and methods of practice, it is a modality that can be incorporated into any life stage or capacity. International Yoga Day is a wonderful starting point and an invitation to make yoga a regular, enriching part of everyday life.

Research consistently promotes the potential health benefits related to the regular practice of yoga, such as improvements in mood, focus, and resilience. A Harvard Medical School article notes that yoga can be as effective as standard exercise in reducing anxiety and depression symptoms, with added benefits to brain function, heart rate variability, and emotional balance. The same review highlights how yoga practice increases thickness in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus, areas of the brain tied to memory and learning. Additionally, further research in Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience confirms yoga's positive effects on brain structure and function, particularly in areas related to self-awareness and emotional regulation.

Why Yoga Works: Evidence-Based Benefits

Yoga can reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety by up to 40%
Regular practice improves sleep, focus, and heart rate variability
Yoga enhances flexibility, balance, and core strength, reducing the risk of injury
Long-term practice supports emotional regulation and mental clarity
Yoga may increase brain volume in key areas related to cognition and memory

This International Yoga Day, ExerciseNZ and YogaNZ invite you to go beyond a single day of practice and consider how yoga could become a lasting part of your life. Take a moment to pause, breathe deeply, and move with intention. Whether you're stepping into a studio, unrolling your mat at home, or trying yoga for the first time, you're joining a global movement toward greater wellbeing, mindfulness, and inner peace.

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Pacific – Republic of Nauru becomes first Pacific country to launch digital asset regulator

Source: Republic of Nauru

 

In a landmark move for the Pacific region, the Nauru Parliament on Tuesday June 17 passed legislation to establish a dedicated virtual asset regulatory authority. 

 

The Bill establishes the Command Ridge Virtual Asset Authority (CRVAA), named after the highest point of land in Nauru, as an autonomous regulator overseeing virtual assets, digital banking, and Web3 innovation. 

 

It will provide a licencing scheme that will allow virtual asset service providers (VASPs) to register and offer their services using Nauru as a base.

 

Nauru President David Adeang said the regulation would pave the way for Nauru to be a digital asset leader in the region and is another step towards strengthening financial integrity, investing in future generations, and forging new pathways for resilience.

 

He pointed out that Nauru is one of the Pacific’s most at-risk nations, acknowledged under the United Nations Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI), for its heightened exposure to economic and environmental shocks, and that the Government needed to embrace innovation. 

 

“This bold step aims to harness the potential of virtual assets to diversify revenue streams and fortify economic resilience,” he said.

 

“By implementing robust oversight of VASPs, Nauru aims to foster sustainable growth, channel new financial inflows into strategic instruments such as its Intergenerational Trust Fund, and reduce its reliance on climate financing, which is often challenging to secure.”

 

The President said Nauru aspires to secure a more sustainable and self-reliant economic future.

 

“We want to be a government of solutions and innovation, be proactive not passive, and positively approach the future with boldness,” he said.

 

Minister for Commerce and Foreign Investment Maverick Eoe told Parliament that more countries are recognising the potential of virtual assets from blockchain technologies to decentralised finance.

 

“This Bill proposes to introduce a framework that will put Nauru on par with other countries leading in the development of their digital economies and generating revenue from such developments,” he said. 

 

“The licensing framework….ensures Nauru becomes a competitor, attracting businesses that bring investment, job creation, and financial innovation,” he said.

 

“By regulating VASPs, token issuance, and secure digital transactions, we can position Nauru as a hub for these types of innovation and development within this part of the world.

 

He said the legislation is a commitment to the future prosperity of the country and a statement that Nauru does not fear the digital transformation, but embraces it and leads within the Pacific region. 

 

CRVAA will be tasked with ensuring cybersecurity standards, monitoring financial transactions and enforcing compliance with international anti-money laundering and financial transparency protocols.

 

The Bill, which provides unmatched legal certainty for the token-issuer, introduces a groundbreaking token classification system that provides long-awaited clarity for the global crypto industry, stating that:

 

  • Cryptocurrencies are presumed commodities, not securities;
  • Utility and payment tokens are excluded from investment contract status;
  • Governance and reward tokens are protected from misclassification

 

The Nauru law defines the activities subject to CRA authorisation as follows:

 

  • Operation of centralised or decentralised virtual asset platforms
  • Exchange services between virtual assets and/or fiat currencies
  • Custodial and non-custodial virtual asset wallet services
  • Issuance of virtual tokens, including ICOs, STOs, and NFTs
  • Lending, staking, yield farming, and decentralised finance (DeFi) services
  • Stablecoin issuance and cross-border payment solutions
  • Operation of digital banks and digital payment platforms
  • Issuance and management of E-money.
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Amnesty International – Urgent need to protect civilians amid unprecedented escalation in hostilities between Israel and Iran

Source: Amnesty International
As more and more civilians bear the cruel toll of the terrifying military escalation in Iran and Israel since 13 June 2025, and amid threats of further escalation in the conflict, Amnesty International is urging the Israeli and Iranian authorities to abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians.
On 16 June, an Iranian government spokesperson reported that Israeli attacks had killed at least 224 people, including 74 women and children, without specifying how many of them were civilians. The health ministry also stated 1,800 people have been injured.
In Israel, the Israeli Military Home Front reported that Iranian attacks had killed at least 24 people, including women and children, stating that they were all civilians, with nearly 600 injured.
“As the number of deaths and injuries continue to rise, Amnesty International is urging both parties to comply with their obligations and ensure that civilians in both countries do not further pay the price of reckless military action,” said Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International.
“Further escalation of these hostilities risks unleashing devastating and far-reaching consequences for civilians across the region and beyond.
“Statements by the US and the G7 so far have failed to recognise the catastrophic impact this escalation will have on civilians in both countries.
“Instead of cheering on one party to the conflict over another as if civilian suffering is a mere sideshow, states must ensure the protection of civilians. Preventing further suffering must be the priority – not the pursuit of military or geopolitical goals.
“Both Israeli and Iranian authorities have time and again demonstrated their utter disregard for international human rights and humanitarian law, committing grave international crimes with impunity.
“The world must not allow Israel to use this military escalation to divert attention away from its ongoing genocide against Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip, its illegal occupation of the whole Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) and its system of apartheid against Palestinians.
“Likewise, the international community must not ignore the suffering that decades of crimes under international law by the Iranian authorities have inflicted upon people inside Iran, that is now being compounded by relentless bombardment.”
Under international humanitarian law, all parties must take all feasible precautions to spare civilians and minimize their suffering and casualties. International humanitarian law strictly prohibits attacks directed at civilians and civilian objects, as well as attacks which do not distinguish between military targets and civilians or civilian infrastructure.
For this reason, weapons that are extremely inaccurate and have large warheads that produce large area effects, such as ballistic missiles, should never be used in areas with large populations of civilians. Attacks on military objectives that are likely to result in disproportionate civilian casualties or destruction of civilian objects are also prohibited.
In the deadliest incident in Israel, eight people including three children, were killed in Bat Yam, south of Tel Aviv, on 15 June.
In Iran, at least 12 people including children and a pregnant woman were killed in one attack in Tajrish square in Tehran on 15 June.
In the shadow of this latest escalation, Israeli authorities continue to forcibly displace and starve Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip as part of their ongoing genocide. They have imposed a full closure on the West Bank, where state-backed settler violence continues to rise, further entrenching Israel’s illegal occupation and apartheid system.
Meanwhile, Iranian authorities have responded to Israel’s latest military attacks by imposing internet restrictions, arresting journalists and dissidents within the country. They have also restricted prisoners’ communication with the outside world, including those in prisons near sites of the bombings. On 16 June, the Iranian authorities executed a man for alleged espionage for Israel, raising concerns about the fate of others on death row for similar charges. The Iranian authorities must release all human rights defenders and others arbitrarily detained and should relocate other prisoners away from locations at risk of being attacked by Israel.
Sinister and fear-inducing ‘ warnings’
Over the past three days, Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Minister of Defence Israel Katz, and Persian-language spokesperson of the Israeli army Kamal Pinchasi have issued alarming threats and overly broad, ineffective evacuation warnings to millions of civilians in Tehran a major city with a population of around 10 million people, located in Tehran province which is home to around 19 million people. In some cases, warnings were issued in the middle of the night when residents were asleep or did not clarify if they referred to the city or the province of Tehran.
On 16 June, Israel Katz, Israel’s Minister of Defense threatened on X that “the residents of Tehran will be forced to pay the price” for the actions of the Iranian authorities. Hours later, the Israeli military’s Persian-language spokesperson warned civilians to evacuate Tehran’s District Three – an area of approximately 30 square km and home to over 350,000 people- via a video showing unclear danger zones. The video included a map indicating danger zones for civilians but did not clearly specify targeted locations or areas of blast and fragmentation hazard, leaving residents uncertain about which areas to avoid. Iranian civil society activists later republished the map with cleared boundaries and locations named.
Prior to the “evacuation” warnings on 16 June, the Israeli army had issued another overly broad warning in Persian, instructing people across the country to “immediately leave areas … [housing] military weapons manufacturing facilities and their support institutions”. The statement sowed panic and confusion among people, as the locations of military facilities are not known to the general public, and no clear guidance was provided on where civilians should or should not go to ensure their safety.
Evacuation warnings, even if detailed and effective, do not release Israel from its other obligations under international humanitarian law. They must not treat as open-fire zones areas for which they have issued warnings. Millions of people in Tehran cannot leave, either because they have no alternative residences outside the city or due to limited mobility, disability, blocked roads, fuel shortages or other constraints. Israel has an obligation to take all feasible precautions to minimize harm to these civilians.
Early morning Tehran time on 17 June, US President Donald Trump caused further panic with a Truth Social post stating: “Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran.” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the White House amplified the message on X, amid media reports that the United States may join Israel in striking Iran.
In reaction to the Israeli warnings, Iranian state media reported on 15 June that the Iranian armed forces had issued warnings urging residents of Tel Aviv to evacuate. In a video aired on state media, Reza Sayed, spokesperson of the Communication Center of the General Staff of the Armed Forces stated: “Leave the occupied territories [referring to Israel and the OPT], as they will undoubtedly become uninhabitable for you in the future … Do not allow the criminal regime to use you as human shields. Avoid residing or moving near the aforementioned locations and know that even underground shelters will not provide you with safety.”
In Israel, these Iranian warnings have not triggered the same level of chaos and mass evacuation, largely due to the presence of the Iron Dome defense system and available shelters. However, there have been cases where civilians, particularly Palestinian citizens of Israel and Bedouin communities, who do not have access to underground shelters, such as the Khatib family in the Palestinian town of Tamra, were killed as a result of an Iranian missile strike. Israeli civil society groups are calling on the government to urgently address the chronic lack of protected space for non-Jewish Israeli citizens
Parties to armed conflicts are prohibited from issuing threats of violence which are designed to spread terror among the civilian population. They cannot hide behind overly general warnings to claim that they have met their obligations under international law. To constitute effective warnings under international humanitarian law, parties must provide civilians with clear and practical instructions on moving away from military objectives that will be targeted rather than unlawfully calling for the mass exodus of millions – an approach that appears designed more to incite panic and terror among civilians than to ensure their protection.
Internet shutdowns and media censorship
In Iran, the authorities have disrupted access to the Internet and instant messaging applications, preventing millions of people caught up in the conflict from accessing essential information and communicating with loved ones both inside and outside the country and thereby exacerbating their suffering.
“Access to the Internet is essential to protect human rights, especially in times of armed conflict where communications blackouts would prevent people from finding safe routes, accessing life-saving resources, and staying informed. The Iranian authorities must immediately ensure full restoration of internet and communication services in all of Iran,” said Agnès Callamard.
The Israeli authorities are also using vague security pretexts to target people over social media posts or sharing videos deemed to breach strict censorship rules.
“Israeli authorities must refrain from using military escalations, as they have done in the past, as a further pretext to crack down on freedom of expression, disproportionately targeting Palestinian citizens of Israel, including through arbitrary detention over unsubstantiated allegations of incitement,” said Agnès Callamard.
Background
On 13 June 2025, Israeli authorities launched air and drone strikes against Iranian territory. Shortly afterwards, Israeli officials announced that they launched the operation to target Iranian nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities and decapitate Iran’s military leadership. The Israeli strikes began as Iran and the US were in the process of negotiating a new deal to limit Iran’s nuclear program and enrichment activities in exchange for sanctions relief.
Iranian authorities have retaliated by launching hundreds of missiles and drones against Israeli territory.
Israeli attacks have struck cities in multiple provinces across Iran, including the provinces of Alborz, East Azerbaijan, Esfahan, Fars, Kermanshah, Hamedan, Lorestan, Ilam, Markazi, Qom, Tehran, West Azerbaijan and Khorasan Razavi.
Iranian attacks have struck several urban areas in Israel, such as Tel Aviv, Bat Yam, Tamra, Petah Tikva, Bnei Brak, Haifa, Herzliya.
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Matariki weekend forecast mixed for star-gazing across New Zealand

Source: NIWA

New Zealanders hoping to see the Matariki stars over the long weekend will have mixed conditions, with the best viewing likely on Friday and Saturday in many areas, according to NIWA’s 2025 Matariki cloud cover forecast.
With the Matariki star cluster visible on New Zealand's eastern horizon just before the rising of the sun, NIWA's forecast for each region covers the pre-dawn period 3am to 6am.
Eastern regions such as Hawke’s Bay, Wairarapa, and the lower North Island, along with parts of the upper and eastern South Island, can expect clearer skies for Matariki celebrations, says NIWA meteorologist and forecaster Chris Brandolino.
“Stargazers can check NIWA’s cloud cover forecast for the best viewing conditions in their region Matariki Viewing Conditions on Vimeo, which is updated at 3:30pm each day for the following morning.”
2025 Matariki Forecast for the hours between 3:00 am to 6:00 am
Upper North Island (including Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Coromandel Peninsula)
  • Early Friday morning: Mostly cloudy with showers possible. Showers most likely over Northland and the Coromandel. Temperatures ranging from 11-13° in Whangārei and Auckland, to 7-9°C for the interior Waikato (e.g., Hamilton).
  • Early Saturday morning: Variable cloud cover, i.e., at times partly cloudy, other times mostly cloudy. Threat for scattered showers, mainly for the Auckland and Waikato regions. Best chances for ideal viewing conditions likely over eastern Northland and the Coromandel. Temperatures ranging from 10-12° in Whangārei and Auckland, to 7-9°C for the interior Waikato (e.g., Hamilton),
East Coast (including Gisborne, Napier, Wairarapa)
  • Early Friday morning: Cloud cover looks to gradual thin in the lead up to sunrise. A few showers possible, especially Tairāwhiti/Gisborne. Temperatures ranging from 6-9°C.
  • Early Saturday morning: Partly cloudy, with overall for most, favourable viewing conditions likely. Temperatures ranging from 8-11°C.
Western North Island (including New Plymouth, Whanganui)
  • Early Friday morning: Cloud will likely have the upper-hand. Threat for a few showers. Temperature between 9-11°C.
  • Early Saturday morning: Cloud will likely have the upper-hand. Threat for a few showers. Temperature between 6-8°C.
Lower North Island (including Wellington)
  • Early Friday morning: Generally ideal viewing conditions with clear to partly cloudy skies. Temperature between 10-11°C.
  • Early Saturday morning: Generally ideal viewing conditions with clear to partly cloudy skies. Temperature between 7-9°C.
Upper South Island (including Nelson, Blenheim)
  • Early Friday morning: Variable cloud cover, so viewing conditions are likely to range. Temperature between 5-7°C.
  • Early Saturday morning: Generally ideal viewing conditions with clear to partly cloudy skies. Temperature between 3-5°C.
Eastern South Island (including Christchurch, Timaru)
  • Early Friday morning: Generally ideal viewing conditions with clear to partly cloudy skies. Temperature from 8-10°C.
  • Early Saturday morning: Variable cloud cover, so viewing conditions are likely to range. Temperature from 6-8°C.
West Coast (including Greymouth, Hokitika)
  • Early Friday morning: Variable cloud cover, so viewing conditions are likely to range. Showers are likely to be around. Breezy, with a temperature around 8-9°C.
  • Early Saturday morning: Ideal conditions likely Hokitika/southwards, with more cloud likely farther north. Temperatures around 4-6°C.
Lakes Region (including Queenstown, Wanaka)
  • Early Friday morning: Cloud is likely to have the upper-hand for most locations. Showers are likely to be around. Breezy with a temperature around 5-6°C.
  • Early Saturday morning: Variable cloud cover, so viewing conditions are likely to range. Temperature around 4-5°C.
Lower South Island (including Dunedin, Invercargill)
  • Early Friday morning: Cloud is likely to have the upper-hand for Southland areas (e.g., Invercargill/Gore) with showers around. Eastern Otago and Dunedin is more likely to have less cloud and favourable viewing conditions. Breezy, with a temperature between 8-10°C
  • Early Saturday morning: Cloud is likely to have the upper-hand with less than ideal viewing conditions. Threat for a shower or two. Temperature between 8-10°C.
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Economic growth still in the hole dug in 2024 – CTU Economist

Source: NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi

Data released by Stats NZ today shows that the economy grew on a quarterly basis by 0.8% but fell on an annual basis by 1.1% said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Economist Craig Renney. “This is positive data for the first quarter of this year, but the fact that the economy is about the same size it was in March 2023 tells you that essentially we have had almost zero economic growth (0.3%) over the past two years.”

“GDP per capita ($52,872) is now lower than it was in March 2022 ($53,100). It took another fall on an annual basis of 2.4%. There were falls in 11 of the 16 sectors of the economy annually – led by construction (-9.3%), wholesale trade (-3.6%) , and business services (-2%). Both goods producing industries and service industries saw contraction this year.”

“The data shows that workers incomes aren’t keeping up with profits. Stats NZ shows that compensation of employees rose 1.5% this quarter before inflation. Gross operating surplus and gross mixed incomes (a broad measure of profit) rose 2%. Employee compensation was revised down in the December quarter to -0.2%.”

“The lack of business confidence in the economy is present in the business investment data. Business investment fell this year. Non-residential building investment fell 2.9%. Transport equipment purchases fell 6%. Households are feeling it to, with purchase of durable goods being lower than they were in December 2023,” Renney said.

“This data shows us how far we fell over the past year in economic terms. The growth in GDP this quarter is welcome – but the economy is still smaller than at the election in real terms. With more recent data suggesting that the economy is struggling to grow, there is a real danger that we return to slow, no, or negative growth.”

“It’s time for the Government to realise that its economic growth plan isn’t working. There are 23,000 more people on Jobseekers this year. 48% of workers in New Zealand got a pay cut in real terms. Business and consumer confidence are at levels associated with recessions. One quarter of data shouldn’t blind the government of the need for change.”

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Universities – Aotearoa to host world-leading conference on women’s entrepreneurship – UoA

Source: University of Auckland (UoA)

A major international conference in Auckland is putting the spotlight on how to better support female founders and highlighting wāhine Māori perspectives on entrepreneurship.
What do female entrepreneurs really want and why is the system still stacked against them? These are a couple of the big questions due to be tackled at the world's leading research conference on women's entrepreneurship held in Aotearoa New Zealand for the first time ever this year.

The Diana International Research Conference from 1-4 July, brings together top researchers and industry experts from around the world to tackle funding inequities, structural barriers and discuss the future of women-led enterprise, with a spotlight on te ao Māori perspectives.

“This is the only conference that focuses solely on women's entrepreneurship research, and it's an opportunity to garner insights from interested attendees, researchers and founders,” says Professor Chris Woods, the Business School's Theresa Gattung Chair for Women in Entrepreneurship, and Diana Conference co-chair.

“We'll be asking: What do women entrepreneurs want? How do we bridge the gap between academic research and industry, and how can we tackle the barriers women face when building businesses?”

Hosted by the Business School's Aotearoa Centre for Enterprising Women, the conference includes keynote talks, academic sessions, and a public-facing Impact Day on Friday 4 July, a one-day forum featuring panels on capital access, wāhine Māori leadership, and entrepreneurial futures.

The day opens with 'A boomer, Gen X, millennial and Gen Z walk into a panel': Mana wāhine across the generations'.

Business School senior lecturer Dr Kiri Dell (Ngāti Porou) says the panel will spotlight the unique strengths wāhine Māori bring to entrepreneurship. The kōrero will also explore te ao Māori concepts of sovereignty and entrepreneurship.

“It's about being role models, sharing networks and giving each other emotional support, challenging mainstream models of the 'hyper solo, winner takes all' entrepreneur model,” says Dell. “We'll discuss what values-led approaches, honouring both the past and the present, can look like.”

Next up, 'The Supply and Demand Challenge: Getting More Capital to Women-Led Businesses' panel will discuss why women still receive just 2 percent of global venture capital investment, with insights from venture capital, angel investment, and female founders actively raising capital.

In the final session, business leader, author, philanthropist and investor Dame Theresa Gattung joins Darsel Keane (Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship), Sophie Bradley (co-CEO, Girls Mean Business), and research fellow Dr Amanda Elam (co-founder, Galaxy Diagnostics) to explore what the future holds for wāhine entrepreneurs in Aotearoa and beyond.

Panel MC and conference co-host Dr Janine Swail, a senior lecturer at the Business School, says it's a privilege to host a conference that spans academic research, PhD students, practitioners and community voices.

“This is the only global conference that bridges academic research with real world insights and perspectives, with a dedicated focus on women's entrepreneurship, and it's happening here in Tāmaki Makaurau.”