Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Posted on

PSA Statement – Unions say Winston Peters has breached Cabinet rules in attacking them over his failure to block Fire at Will / Uber Bill

Source: PSA

PSA and Workers First Union write to PM urging him to investigate Winston Peters over false claims about unions
The PSA and Workers First Union have today written to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon alleging that New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters has made false claims in breach of the Cabinet Office Manual that the unions failed to consult with his party earlier enough in their efforts to get his party to vote against the Fire at Will / Uber Bill.
The unions have released their letter to the Prime Minister (attached) which sets out the facts of the lengthy attempts they made from 2024 to just days before the Bill was passed last week to persuade NZ First to vote against the most anti-worker Bill in decades.
Last week Winston Peters told RNZ NZ First could have stopped the Fire at Will / Uber Bill if unions had approached him earlier. The party failed to vote against the Employment Relations Amendment Bill or put forward any amendments to the Bill, which passed its Third Reading on Tuesday despite his party indicating ‘tweaks’ were coming during the Second Reading debate.
“Winston Peters and New Zealand First betrayed workers by voting for the most anti worker legislation in over 50 years and he had the gall to falsely blame unions for not engaging with him earlier. The facts are clear, as laid out in our letter to the Prime Minister – we had several constructive engagements with NZ First,” said PSA National Secretary Fleur Fitzsimons.
“We remain adamant that the facts were laid out to the party clearly, and early, but NZ First chose to side with ACT and National despite its claims to be a party that cares about workers,” said Fitzsimons.
“Uber drivers and our union had many constructive meetings with New Zealand First over the last 18 months, and we warned them repeatedly of the damage that Brooke van Velden’s law change would wreak on New Zealand. Winston Peters' false claims to the contrary show that he is full of hot air and should apologise for his untrue statements or front up to Uber drivers and explain himself,” said Dennis Maga, General Secretary Workers First Union.
The unions say Mr Peters has clearly breached the Conduct of Ministers provisions in the Cabinet Manual, as set out in paragraph 2.56, which states that Ministers, at all times, including in their political capacity must uphold the ‘highest ethical and behavioural standards’.
“As we say in the letter to the Prime Minister, 'we cannot accept that any reasonable interpretation of paragraph 2.56 would find that it is acceptable conduct for a Minister to wilfully misrepresent the facts in order to show others in an unfavourable light’. When Hon Judith Collins made inaccurate comments about teacher salaries, she appropriately corrected herself and apologised which is needed here too,” said Fitzsimons.
“Unions need to have constructive relationships with all parties, no matter their colours, and at times we will disagree as we do over the Employment Relations Amendment Bill. But we can’t abide a party leader, a senior Minister, and one as experienced as Mr Peters, deliberately misrepresenting the facts,” said Dennis Maga.
“NZ First put the business interests of their coalition partners over the interests of workers in voting for this draconian Bill, despite our best efforts over many months to persuade NZ First to back workers, not the ACT Party.
“NZ First were more than capable of drafting their own amendments to the Bill since its introduction, and they have a taxpayer-funded Parliamentary office and policy unt and under their coalition agreements they could have and should have simply voted this exploitative law down,” said Maga.
“We urge Christopher Luxon to take this matter seriously, meet with us and investigate Mr Peters over this clear breach of Cabinet rules. Truth must be the gold standard in modern politics,” said Fleur Fitzsimons.
The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand's largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.
Posted on

Government Cuts – Govt wastes $58m forcing out 2,800 health workers during funding crisis – PSA

Source: PSA

Taxpayers have shelled out $58 million in redundancy payments to let go 2,800 health workers after the Government forced Te Whatu Ora Health NZ to slash its workforce to save money.
In data just released to the PSA under the Official Information Act Health NZ has confirmed it paid out $57.91 million to cover voluntary redundancies and early exits for non-clinical staff between 1 November 2023 and 31 December 2025. This did not include payments made in January of this year (see attached response).
During that period the PSA estimates Health NZ let go nearly 2,800 workers through cuts and voluntary redundancies ( see detail in 5 January statement).
“This is a shameful indictment of the Government’s reckless approach to cost cutting coming at a time of a health funding crisis – all this has done is deepen the crisis,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
“The jobs axed were not just numbers, they included experienced administrators who kept hospitals running, public health analysts preparing us for the next pandemic and IT experts who kept vital clinical systems running 24/7. They all had more to give our public health system.”
The PSA represents some 17,000 health workers including clerical and administration staff and IT experts.
“At a time of rising health needs, the Government just turned a blind eye. It claims it’s pushing resources into hospitals – Kiwis don’t see that evidence, but they do see long wait times at EDs and see clinicians forced to use paper and whiteboards when ageing IT systems break down.
“There is a high price to pay for losing these public health workers and it will include more IT failures, longer wait times and clinicians doing more administrative tasks.
“Bottom line, the Government forced Health NZ to spend money it didn’t have to axe workers it needed to keep the system functioning well for all New Zealanders.”
The $58 million health bill comes on top of the $10.2 million Callaghan Innovation paid out in axing 189 workers over a similar period including 85 scientists and researchers.
“The pattern is clear across government; spending millions to lose the expertise we desperately need.
“The downsizing of the public sector has left the Government less capable of providing the services critical to the health and well-being of New Zealanders and less able to do the work on the challenges we face from adapting to climate change, an ageing population and a dangerous infrastructure deficit.
“Come the election in November the PSA will be urging voters to choose a government that supports a public service that makes safeguarding our future a priority.”
Previous statements
The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand's largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.
Posted on

Advocacy News – Death of Palestine solidarity stalwart Roger Fowler

Source: Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa

22 February 2026 – PSNA is deeply saddened by the death of Palestine stalwart Roger Fowler last night.

Roger has been a legend of the solidarity movement for many decades as the founder and co-ordinator of Kia Ora Gaza which delivered humanitarian aid to the besieged Gaza strip by land and by sea.

In particular Roger co-ordinated New Zealand participation in many of the “flotillas to Gaza” which aimed to break Israel’s illegal siege. He was a leader of the overland convoy in 2012 which brought 14 ambulances into Gaza, three of which were paid for and stocked by donations from New Zealanders, to the service of the people of Gaza.

Most recently Roger was heavily involved in co-ordinating New Zealand support for the Global March to Gaza and the Sumud Flotilla to Gaza.

Roger was a man of great integrity and character with a passion for justice. He will remain a guiding light for the solidarity movement here.

Roger wrote the song “We are all Palestinians” which is performed by Unity Pacific at this link and is an anthem for the solidarity movement here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsBIU55_oPk

John Minto
Co-Chair PSNA.

Posted on

Arts – 2026 NZSA Kupu Kaitiaki & Kaituhi Mentor Programmes for Kaituhi Māori

Source: NZSA

Open For Applications February 20th – April 10th

He karanga tēnei ki ngā kaituhi Māori, he pōwhiri hoki kia kawea ō pūkenga tuhituhi ki tētahi taumata kounga hou. Whakaae ki tā mātou wero ki te tuhi i a koe anō ki tētahi wāhi e tū ai koe i waenga i ō hoa aropā, i ō hoa kaituhi hoki e titiro ai ki anamata. Nau mai, piki mai, kake mai!

Whāia te iti kahurangi, ki te tuohu koe, me he maunga teitei

Ko tā ngā hōtaka o te NZSA e kīia nei ko ngā hōtaka Kaituhi, Kupu Kaitiaki hoki, he tautoko i te whakarahi i ngā reo Māori, i ngā kōrero Māori kia kitea ai, hei te mutunga iho, kia nui ake te tā me te whakaatu i aua mahi. Kua whakatauiratia aua hōtaka ki ngā hōtaka kaiakopono me te aromatawai kua 30 tau e haere ana, he mea whai pānga, angitu hoki hei tautoko i ngā kaituhi. Whakarato ngātahi ai te NZSA me Ngā Kaituhi Māori i aua hōtaka motuhake mā ngā kaituhi Māori.

These two programmes aim to support the amplification of Māori voices, Māori stories, and ultimately see greater publication and performance of these works.  They are modelled on NZSA's 30-year successful and impactful mentorship and assessment support programmes for writers. NZSA offers two dedicated programmes for Māori writers through Ngā Kaituhi Māori.

Kaituhi Māori Mentor Programme:

Designed for emerging writers who whakapapa Māori to have the opportunity to work closely with an acclaimed writer as their mentor to hone their tuhituhi ability and, in the process, evolve and refine a work toward a publishable state. We welcome applications from kaituhi who write in te reo Māori and/or te reo Pākehā, in the genres of fiction including short fiction, on any topic(s). We welcome kaituhi of all ages – from rangatahi to kaumātua.
 
Over a period of up to six months, this mentorship provides opportunities to discuss ideas and issues – practical and editorial – and benefit from the experience, mōhio and mana of experienced kaituhi Māori to help aspiring kaituhi Māori develop further skills to sustain and strengthen their future career. Modelled on a tuakana-teina relationship, this kaupapa aims to offer a safe and supportive space for emerging kaituhi to develop their craft; gain encouragement and accountability, along with substantive feedback. As well as mentorship, part of this programme is to provide constructive suggestions for the refinement of a work in progress.  
 
There are four (4) mentorships for kaituhi Māori available in 2026.

Kupu Kaitiaki:

This kaupapa is an assessment programme and aims to provide new and emerging kaituhi with valuable feedback from a skilled Kupu Kaitiaki, for the refinement of a part of a manuscript written in te reo Māori or in English. The proposed work can be in the genres of poetry, fiction (excluding plays), short fiction or non-fiction (excluding screenplays and picture books), on any topic(s), of up to 30,000 words. The two selected successful manuscripts will be read by an experienced te reo Māori pūkenga and literary advisor – a Kupu Kaitiaki – who will compile feedback in a brief report. It offers kaituhi an opportunity to further develop style and direction, and receive support for a project in the early stages of development.

The desired outcome is to champion Māori writers and Māori writing and in particular, works by kaituhi Māori in te reo Māori. To apply, kaituhi can send in a piece a 1-2 page synopsis along with a sample (max 5,000 words) of the manuscript they are seeking feedback on. There are two opportunities available in 2026. Assessments of the recipients’ works will begin shortly after selection, and will be completed on/by 30 June 2026.

Applications for these programmes are open from 20 February – 10 April 2026. Applicants will be notified within 4-6 weeks of the result.

How to Apply

Posted on

Consumer NZ – Support for surcharge ban getting stronger

Source: Consumer NZ

Consumer NZ urges the government to push ahead with a surcharge ban, with research finding almost three in five New Zealanders support a ban on card payment surcharges, and only 15% oppose the proposal.

It’s estimated that excessive card payment surcharges cost New Zealand shoppers approximately $65 million a year. Yet since December 2025, businesses’ costs associated with accepting card payments have reduced, saving businesses an estimated $90 million a year.

“Two-thirds of New Zealanders think that businesses should cover the cost of card payments themselves,” says Jessica Walker, Consumer NZ campaign manager.

Since 2023, Consumer has received over 300 complaints about excessive surcharges. The highest reported surcharge was 25%.

Walker says New Zealanders are frequently being stung by excessive, hidden and unavoidable surcharges.

“Too many businesses are flouting the guidelines which say surcharges should be transparent, avoidable and not excessive.    

“Over a quarter of New Zealanders told us they think they are rarely or never informed of surcharges ahead of payment, and more than four in ten said they've paid a surcharge because they couldn’t use a no-fee option.”

According to Consumer, the best way to fix the surcharge mess is an all-out ban.

“A ban would be simple for businesses and would stop consumers from being hit with hidden or excessive surcharges. If a business chooses to pass on additional costs due to the ban, we expect those costs to be minimal.

“Internationally we are seeing a more progressive stance when it comes to surcharging, with Australian regulators signalling they will ban surcharges on debit and credit card payments from mid-2026. In the UK and EU, surcharging is already largely banned. We don't think it's fair New Zealand consumers are expected to continue shouldering these costs.”

Consumer says there’s widespread surcharge frustration amongst shoppers and it's time for the government to fix the surcharge mess.  

Notes

Survey data is from the Consumer NZ Sentiment Tracker; a nationally representative survey of 1,000 New Zealanders aged 18+ conducted 21-29 January 2026 (margin of error ± 3.1% at the 95% confidence level). Respondents were excluded if they had completed the Sentiment Tracker at any point in the previous 12 months.

About Consumer NZ

Consumer NZ is an independent, non-profit organisation dedicated to championing and empowering consumers in Aotearoa. Consumer NZ has a reputation for being fair, impartial and providing comprehensive consumer information and advice.

Posted on

PSA Responds – How dare you blame unions Mr Peters. You blew chance to block anti-worker law

Source: PSA

PSA calls on NZ First to put workers first, not big business
Winston Peters is simply wrong to blame unions for being too slow to convince New Zealand First to block the Fire at Will Bill when his party knew about unions’ concerns in August last year.
Winston Peters told RNZ NZ First could have stopped the Fire at Will / Uber Bill but unions came to the party too late. The party failed to vote against the Employment Relations Amendment Bill which passed its Third Reading on Tuesday.
“How dare Winston Peters claim unions were too slow when they contacted his party last year when there was plenty of time for him to make a difference,” said Fleur Fitzsimson, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
“He had all the time in world in fact – 196 days in fact between the PSA’s first meeting with NZ First last year and the passing of the Bill this Tuesday.
“It’s as simple as this – the party lacked the guts to stand up to the ACT party despite expressing concerns in speeches about the Bill.
“They committed in the Second Reading to make changes to the personal grievance provisions. We held out hope, but nothing happened. Why?
“So, ACT got to write a bill that rips up personal grievance provisions and allows Uber to exploit workers on contracts.
“Here are the facts:
“I got in touch with New Zealand First in August last year and met with their staff in Mr Peters’ office on 5 August. It was a useful meeting, and they put me in touch with their Employment Relations spokesperson, Mark Patterson .
“There were two further constructive meetings with Mark Patterson before the Second Reading of the Bill. He really seemed to give us a fair hearing and asked for possible amendments to take the harsh edges off the proposed legislation.
“And we made a last minute, constructive plea to the party last week delivering a handwritten card to Mr Peters.
“This is the man who claims his party is all about ‘the responsible face of capitalism’. Responsible capitalism means basic protections for workers from unfair treatment which is what personal grievance remedies are all about.
“Mr Peters had every chance to walk the talk but turned a blind eye.
“Once again, Winston Peters and NZ First, have ignored workers, and voted for the most anti-worker legislation in three decades, adding to his party voting with National and ACT to scrap Fair Pay Agreements and pay equity for 150,000 women, supporting 90-day trials and suppressing low minimum wage increases.
“The facts speak for themselves. NZ First, like National, is simply the lap dog of the anti-worker ACT party. You must wonder what price has Mr Peters extracted for his party to back the Bill.
“Workers will never forget this latest betrayal – the PSA will be reminding voters come the election what NZ First really stands for – putting the Coalition Government’s business mates first, not New Zealand workers.”
The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand's largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.
Posted on

Federated Farmers – Rates cap potential and pitfalls need scrutiny

Source: Federated Farmers

By Sandra Faulkner, Federated Farmers local government spokesperson
At Federated Farmers, we’re all in favour of greater local government spending restraint.
We’re not in favour of so severely straight-jacketing council budget decisions that vital infrastructure upgrades and maintenance are delayed or cancelled.
That might sound like Federated Farmers wants a bob each way on the Government’s proposed 2-4% cap on council rates.
In reality, it reflects the tricky balance between calls for fiscal discipline and the unavoidable cost pressures councils face.
I think all of us, even councils, agree on one thing – that the trajectory of rates hikes is unaffordable for increasing numbers of families and businesses.
But the 2-4% rates cap the Government wants in place by 2029 is a blunt tool that could have unintended consequences.
Exempt from the proposed cap are charges for waste, drinking and stormwater services.
With an estimated network renewal backlog of as much as $47.9 billion because of previous under-investment, the Government knows we have to catch up on this vital work.
Work on other infrastructure particularly vital to rural areas – roading, bridges, drainage, flood protection – is also plagued by significant council (and central government) under-investment in many districts.
When councillors factor in paying interest on rising council debt, never mind soaring costs for contractors and raw materials, a rates cap will create temptation – even necessity – to delay or delete important capital works.
Federated Farmers believes there should be a rates cap exemption for targeted road and infrastructure rates, just as is proposed for three waters charges.
The Government’s thinking is that a rates cap will force councils to prioritise ‘must haves’ and pare back on ‘nice to haves’.
As a generalisation, smaller rural councils probably spend less on nice to haves.
A rates cap, including on district councils already grappling with costs of providing for high numbers of visitors and tourists, could end up cutting into budgets for ‘must haves’.
Faced with a rates cap, councils might also look to offset revenue shortfalls by hiking other charges or selling assets.
Rates are the largest source of income for local authorities, making up on average 57% of total operating revenue.
Other revenue comes from council-owned trading entities like ports and airports, but these tend to be owned by metropolitan councils rather than smaller district councils.
Councils also charge fees for everything from swimming pool entry to parking, building consents and liquor licences. These services are often subsidised by general rates.
To offset a rates cap, these fees could be raised.
Lots of people like the notion of ‘user pays’ – unless they’re a user.
Perhaps farmers would welcome higher council fees for rubbish collection, swimming pools, sports playing surfaces, food outlet inspections and other services they don’t get to use as much as town residents.
But they’re less likely to be happy with fee hikes for compliance inspections, resource consents and dog registration.
There’s a common misconception the rates cap will mean no property owner’s rates bill can increase by more than 4% in any year. But the restriction is on a council’s total revenue from rates.
Just as is the case now, a property owner’s share of total rates is determined by capital (or land) value.
In three-yearly revaluations, if your property value has risen more than the average for the district, you’ll pay more in rates – and vice-versa.
Two other ideas Feds will raise in our submission on the rates cap proposal relate to referenda and benchmarking.
We think councils should need residents’ consent for large spends on commercial facilities and ventures, like stadiums and conference centres.
A referendum would be required, for example, where the spend is greater than $500 per resident.
This would allow councils to provide community well-being services and activities, while restrain them from destroying their balance sheets through risky investments beyond their core purpose.
If we’re serious about driving council costs down, there’s also a case for much improved nationwide benchmarking of council costs.
Armed with detailed information on average costs for road maintenance, playground installation, reserves mowing and so on, councillors could drill down into spending – and challenge officers’ reports.
With council rates bills now one of the biggest household costs – and one of the most prominent lines in a farm’s budget – the rates cap and related issues deserve solid debate in the run-up to the general election.
Federated Farmers will be vocal in the debate, just as we have been in talk of council restructuring and amalgamation, to make sure the rural voice and priorities are prominent. 
Posted on

Fire Safety – Fire and Emergency received calls for 17 incidents during today’s strike

Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand

Fire and Emergency New Zealand received calls for 17 incidents between 12pm and 1pm today, Friday 20 February, the twelfth time the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU) has taken strike action.
Of these, 13 incidents were in areas impacted by the strike.
Two incidents were reports of fires at residential properties, one of which was a pot smoking on a stove and the other was a fire in a property’s roof space.
Two incidents were reports of car fires, which did not result in a fire and two incidents were reports of rubbish bin fires.
One incident was a motor vehicle crash with no rescue required. Five were fire alarms which did not result in a fire.
There was also a significant fire at Northcote College on Auckland’s North Shore.
Assistant National Commander Ron Devlin says Fire and Emergency was first notified of the fire through a fire alarm at 12.17pm.
“As part of our contingency planning to manage reduced capability during strike action, we do not dispatch crews to automatic fire alarm activations unless there are multiple activations or confirming 111 calls.
“Following a second fire alarm notification crews were dispatched at 12.19pm.
“While heading to the scene we also received a 111 call from a member of the public.
“A commander was first to arrive at the scene at 12.29pm followed by a volunteer brigade from Silverdale at 12.34pm.
“They were later joined by additional volunteer brigades and career crews arrived following the conclusion of today’s strike action.
“Students and staff were evacuated and thankfully there are no reports of any injuries. Approximately 20 crews remain at the scene and the fire is now under control.”
Ron Devlin says Fire and Emergency continues to urge the NZPFU to call off planned strikes while the process of facilitation is underway.
“I want to thank our 11,800 volunteers across the country, especially those who were called to attend events in areas impacted by the strike.
“I would also like to thank our Operational Commanders and Communication Centre Managers, who managed the response.”
Posted on

Property Market – $40m wiped from property market in Q4, but figures show improvement on last year – RealEstate

Source: RealEstate.co.nz

  • 1,374 listings recorded a price drop in Q4 2025, the lowest number in two years
  • Only 3% of all listings were reduced, the lowest portion in two years 
  • $41,309,345 million was the total value of price reductions, the lowest total price drop in a quarter
  • Stable OCR could be first sign of a property market recovery in 2026.

Latest data from realestate.co.nz shows that more than $40 million was trimmed from property asking prices across New Zealand in the last quarter of 2025.

In a shift that may signal improving market conditions, the total amount that dropped out of the market was $14 million less than the $55 million slashed in Q4 of 2024 *

In Q4 2025, fewer properties reduced the price of their listing. And of the listings that did drop their price, they did so by slightly less than any other quarter.

*This data reflects the difference between a property's original asking price when listed on realestate.co.nz and its price at the point of sale or withdrawal. While it doesn’t show the final sale price, it provides a strong signal of how much sellers are adjusting to meet buyer demand.

Is the property market in recovery?

Vanessa Williams, spokesperson for realestate.co.nz, says the latest figures could be an early indicator that the market is beginning to swing in a different direction.

“While $40 million coming out of the market is still significant, fewer vendors reduced the price of their property last quarter than we’ve seen over the two years prior, an indication that the overall amount trimmed from the market in Q4 is a result not of smaller reductions but by fewer properties needing to reduce their price.”

Williams says: “This indicates that sellers may be starting to price more realistically from the outset, and buyer confidence could be slowly returning. It’s not a full recovery yet, but it could be one of the first signs that conditions are beginning to stabilise.”

How much are sellers cutting property asking prices by?

Nationally, vendors who reduced their asking prices in Q4 2025 took an average of $30,065 off each listing.

Regionally, Marlborough recorded the largest average drop, with sellers trimming $50,500 from their original asking prices. Gisborne followed at $49,333, while Northland, Wellington, and Coromandel rounded out the top five with average reductions of $38,479, $37,607, and $35,645, respectively.

Overall, fewer vendors dropped their prices in the final quarter of 2025, with the lowest percentage of price drops occurring in 11 of the 19 regions.

Signs of stabilisation heading into 2026?

The data suggests the intense repricing seen throughout 2025 may be easing.

“The significant amounts we saw slashed from the market in the earlier quarters of 2025 certainly hasn’t continued, which is a sign confidence is slowly returning to the market,” says Williams. “The stability of the OCR in this week’s announcement should also be an encouraging sign that the market may not be too far away from hitting its stride in 2026.”

realestate.co.nz is helping buyers and sellers move. Properties listed on realestate.co.nz that drop their price can receive free billboard advertising, while buyers who have saved them are alerted instantly.

About realestate.co.nz | New Zealand’s Best Small Workplace (2025)

Realestate.co.nz – your home for property search.

We’ve been helping people buy, sell, or rent property since 1996. Established before Google, realestate.co.nz is New Zealand’s longest-standing property website and the official website of the real estate industry. We are certified carbon neutral (2024 & 2025) and in 2025, realestate.co.nz was crowned Best Small/Micro Workplace in New Zealand by Great Place to Work.

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

Whatever life you’re searching for, it all starts here.  

Want more property insights?

Market insights: Search by suburb to see median sale prices, popular property types and trends over time: https://www.realestate.co.nz/insights

 Glossary of terms:  

Average asking price (AAP) is neither a valuation nor the sale price. It is an indication of current market sentiment. Statistically, asking prices tend to correlate closely with the sales prices recorded in future months when those properties are sold. As it looks at different data, average asking prices may differ from recorded sales data released simultaneously.  

Price drop reflects the difference between a property's original asking price when listed on realestate.co.nz and its price at the point of sale or withdrawal. While it doesn’t show the final sale price, it provides a strong signal of how much sellers are adjusting to meet buyer demand.

Posted on

Electrical and mechanical machinery lead imports for year ended January 2026 – Overseas merchandise trade: January 2026 – Stats NZ news story and information release