Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: Quality Valuation (QV)

Six years on from the March 2020 lockdown, the story of New Zealand’s housing market has come full circle – from boom and gloom to a far more balanced and nuanced chapter today.

Our latest QV House Price Index, out now, shows national home values are now 21.6% higher than they were six years ago. However, growth has slowed significantly, with values reducing by just 0.4% over the past year, including a reduction of 0.1% over the three months to the end of March 2026.

On the six-year anniversary of NZ’s first lockdown, QV spokesperson Simon Petersen said the urgency that defined the market through 2020 and 2021 has long gone, replaced by much more cautious and measured decision-making these days.

“The past six years have really been a story of two extremes – incredibly rapid, unsustainable growth, followed by a sharp correction, and then a gradual return to normal,” he said.

“It’s now a much more stable and balanced housing market that’s behaving more like it used to, back before Covid-19. There’s less urgency, more negotiation, and a stronger focus on fundamentals like affordability and supply.

“The frenzy we saw through 2020 and 2021 may be long gone now, but values are still sitting above where they were before the pandemic for the most part, without adjusting for inflation.”

Source: Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF)

31 March, 2026: Following an initial hearing at Israel's High Court on 23 March, Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and 18 other leading humanitarian organisations reaffirm our decision to proceed with the petition we filed in February 2026 before the High Court, challenging Israel's ban on 37 humanitarian organisations from operating in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). We have taken the unprecedented step of petitioning to the High Court with a coalition of humanitarian organisations, after Israeli authorities ordered us to cease operations in the OPT by the end of February under revised registration rules imposed by Israel, threatening to cut Palestinians off from essential humanitarian aid.

We have repeatedly raised serious concerns about Israel’s requests to provide personal information as part of the new registration process. In the OPT, medical and humanitarian workers have been intimidated, arbitrarily detained, attacked and killed by Israel. Therefore, without the necessary assurances that safeguard our staff, MSF will not share a list of its Palestinian staff with Israeli authorities. Since October 2023, following Hamas’ massacre on 7 October 2023, Israel has killed over 1,700 health workers in attacks on Gaza, as well as 15 of our own colleagues. The new registration requirements imposed by the Israeli authorities are a pretext to obstruct humanitarian assistance and violate humanitarian principles. They also violate our duty of care towards our staff, as well as international data protection standards.

Israel is forcing humanitarian organisations into an impossible position, designed to obstruct humanitarian assistance by banning principled, independent and experienced organisations, ergo cutting off life-saving care, with devastating consequences for people in the OPT.

What is needed now is a massive scale-up of unhindered humanitarian assistance which Israeli authorities, as the occupying power, are obliged to ensure. Since 1 January, Israel has entirely blocked MSF from bringing any supplies or international staff into Gaza. On 26 February, all international staff had to leave Gaza and the West Bank. MSF’s medical programmes are already facing shortages in Gaza. In the West Bank, we have had to significantly reduce some activities due to administrative and security barriers, while Palestinians face intensifying violence and movement restrictions. In the longer term, our activities may be impossible to maintain under such restrictive conditions.

While the High Court deliberates, MSF calls on governments of the international community to use all diplomatic, political, and legal leverage to demand that the Israeli government suspend these restrictions on life-saving aid and prevent further suffering for people in Gaza and the West Bank. We are committed to remaining in the OPT and providing assistance for as long as possible, as we have for nearly four decades.

Note to Editors

MSF is committed to remaining in Palestine and delivering life-saving medical care in Gaza and the West Bank. Our Palestinian colleagues, more than 1,400 in all, continue this vital work. Many of the services provided by MSF are largely unavailable elsewhere in Gaza due to the destruction of the health system. For 2026, MSF had planned to expand our programmes with a budget of 130 million euros.

 

MSF provides surgical care, wound management, maternity and paediatric services, mental health support, and water distribution across Gaza and the West Bank, supporting hospitals, field hospitals, and primary healthcare facilities.

 

MSF teams are continuing to provide medical care in 20 healthcare facilitates and medical points in Gaza. MSF plays a vital role in Gaza, supporting one in five hospital beds and assisting one in three mothers during childbirth, operating clinics for people with traumatic injuries and chronic illnesses, treating malnourished children and other patients, and distributed 700 million litres of water last year.

 

MSF is fully registered to work in Palestine, under our registration with the Palestinian Authority. We are working to preserve our humanitarian response in Gaza and the West Bank in an increasingly constrained environment. As an occupying power, the Israeli authorities are obliged to ensure humanitarian assistance is provided.

MSF is an international, medical, humanitarian organisation that delivers medical care to people in need, regardless of their origin, religion, or political affiliation.  MSF Australia was established in 1995 and is one of 24 international MSF sections committed to delivering medical humanitarian assistance to people in crisis. Every year more than 120 Australians and New Zealanders go on assignment with Médecins Sans Frontières  working as: doctors, midwives, psychologists, laboratory technicians, human resource/finance coordinators, pharmacists, mental health specialists and logisticians. MSF delivers medical care based on need alone and operates independently of government, religion or economic influence and irrespective of race, religion or gender. For more information visit msf.org.au  

Source: New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF)

New Zealand Army soldiers and their Pacific counterparts have been pushed to their limits in a fiercely contested 1st (NZ) Brigade Skill at Arms competition at Waiouru in the central North Island.

Ten teams from across the brigade (including three Reserve Force teams) were last week joined by Australians, Fijians and, for the first time, a team from Tonga’s His Majesty’s Armed Forces.

The three-day competition is designed to push soldiers to their limits, testing core fighting skills, endurance, teamwork, and leadership in challenging conditions under pressure.

Jubilant soldiers from 5th/7th Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment eventually scooped all three trophies; the Falling Plate trophy (a shooting competition testing both shooting accuracy and speed) and the Top Reserve Force trophy – winning bragging rights for one of the NZ Army’s most demanding and respected competitions.

The competition simulates a range of all-arms scenarios including close combat and open combat across a variety of environments and is set at a level that makes it accessible to all trades within the brigade whilst ensuring high standards and a combat focus.

The trades include mechanics, drivers, engineers and artillery competing against infantry soldiers and gunners.

Training Warrant Officer, Warrant Officer Class One (WO1) Paul Buckley, says Skill at Arms is more than just a competition, it’s a snapshot of where the soldiers are excelling and what areas need more work.

“All soldiers – combat and combat support services – must display core soldering skills of weapon handling, fitness and combat shooting techniques,” he said.

The soldiers are challenged when they’re cold, tired, wet and under time pressure. They covered around 20km carrying packs weighing 30kg while tired and on minimal food and sleep.

“These tests identify their physical and mental strength, painting a picture as to how soldiers will perform in arduous and austere conditions in potential combat situations,” WO1 Buckley said.

“Specific challenges like the pond swim in cold conditions and driving rain test their resilience and teamwork. We want to see teams digging deep and encouraging each other when the going gets tough.

“That’s what soldiering is all about – world class combat skills, integrity, courage, commitment and comradeship.”

The competition also provides a vital opportunity to forge deeper relationships in the region.

Fiji’s Lance Corporal Timothy MacPherson says the weather was challenging but his team embraced the cold and rain.

“We chose not to wear wet weather gear so we could make the experience as hard as possible. This is what we may encounter overseas so we need to be able to perform.

“Everyone expected the pond swim to be our weakest point and when we got in, we couldn’t feel our legs. But our spirit got us through and we scored 1000 marks out of a 1000.

“When we heard that, we were shouting like it was the end of the competition.”

1st (NZ) Brigade Commander, Colonel Mike van Welie, says forging deeper relationships in the region is vital.

“The threats to our nations are too much to weather alone, but together we can harness our individual strengths and secure our region.

“There are a range of pressures that affect our region from climate change to strategic competition. Each of these things impacts our security as a nation and people's feelings of security and safety.

“Our military is the nation's insurance policy, and we must be ready at short notice for whatever might happen.

“Skill at Arms and other exercises where we work closely with our ally Australia and our Pacific friends builds mutual trust and collective capability.

“We know that we can respond together to challenges in our region. In short, we have each other’s backs.”

Observers from Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea observed the competition with a view to sending teams next year.

Source: University of Auckland – UoA

New research finds high levels of student food insecurity with living away from home the main driver.

Almost half of university students are experiencing food insecurity, with those living away from the family home and struggling financially at greatest risk, according to new research.
 
The study, led by Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland researchers, is the first to quantify food insecurity among university students in New Zealand. It found that 45 percent of surveyed students were food insecure – meaning they lacked reliable access to enough affordable, nutritious and appropriate food. See Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand. (ref. https://rsnz.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/snz2.70031 )

“The study is timely, because we are seeing in the media that students are having a tough time with the cost-of-living crisis,” says lead researcher Dr Berit Follong, a research fellow in population health in the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences.

The findings from the University of Auckland student population are in line with similar recent studies in the United States and Australia.

Food insecurity was significantly more common among students living away from home, compared with those living at home with parents or family.  
 
Students who described their finances as ‘borderline’ or ‘not secure at all’ were also far more likely to struggle to meet their basic food needs.

“Many students are juggling high living costs, limited income and study demands. For some , food is where they make compromises,” says Dr Follong.

Cost and time are major barriers
The research surveyed 347 University of Auckland students using an internationally validated food security questionnaire.  
 
Most food-insecure students (80 percent) said the cost of food was a frequent barrier to eating well, while lack of time to shop for and prepare food was also a major challenge.

To cope, students commonly reported buying the cheapest available food, saving food for later or reducing meal size. Use of food banks and other food relief services was relatively low.

Previous international research has linked food insecurity among students to lower grades and poorer mental health and well-being.

Students living away from home were around three times more likely than students living at home to be struggling to get enough nutritious and safe food.

Of students who reported they were eating well, three-quarters (76 percent) were living at home.

“Living in the parental environment acts as a kind of safety net, likely for financial reasons but also because food is simply more available compared with living away from home,” says Dr Follong.

While many students expressed interest in practical support – such as advice on cooking low-cost healthy meals and budgeting living expenses – awareness of existing university food relief and support initiatives was low.

Only around one in four students said they were aware of food-related support available through the University, and just half of those had used it.

“This suggests there is an opportunity to improve how support is communicated and to design solutions that better reflect students’ realities,” says co-researcher Professor Cliona Ni Mhurchu, Professor of Population Nutrition in the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences.

The researchers call for nonstigmatising approaches that address both financial pressures and the practical barriers students face.

“There is a critical need for support to address student food insecurity, in particular for those who move away from home to attend university,” Professor Ni Mhurchu says.

“Our findings highlight the need for multi-level solutions – from better information and education, through to financial policies that recognise students’ cost-of-living pressures,” she says.

The study was conducted in 2024 and involved students across all faculties and years of study.

The authors note that further research across other New Zealand universities is needed to
understand the national picture.

Source: Fonterra
 
Fonterra Co-operative Group Ltd has today completed the sale of its global consumer and associated businesses, Mainland Group, to Lactalis.
 
Chairman Peter McBride says the completion of the sale is a significant milestone which sets the Co-op up for the future.  
 
“With the divestment complete, Fonterra can return capital to its owners and focus on growing further through its core business as a New Zealand farmer-owned global B2B dairy provider,” says Mr McBride.
 
CEO Miles Hurrell says “through our high performing Ingredients and Foodservice businesses, we sell innovative dairy products to customers globally under our NZMP and Anchor Food Professionals brands.
 
“We can now focus our resources, R&D spend, and farmers’ capital on continuing to grow these businesses, which generate the greatest return for farmers’ milk.
 
“The completion of the sale also signals the start of our long-term partnership with Lactalis. Lactalis becomes one of our most significant Ingredients customers, as we continue to supply milk and other products to the divested businesses,” says Mr Hurrell.
 
Capital return payment
 
As previously advised, Fonterra will return $3.2 billion of divestment proceeds to farmer shareholders and unit holders via a $2.00 per share capital return.
 
Fonterra can now confirm the record date for being eligible for the capital return is 5.00 pm on 9 April 2026 and the payment date is 14 April 2026.
 
As is standard practice, the NZX has approved a three-day administrative trading halt in respect of Fonterra's shares and Fonterra Shareholders’ Fund units listed on the NZX Main Board.
 
The trading halt will apply from market open on 8 April 2026 through until the close of trading on 10 April 2026. This is to ensure all trades have settled before the record date and to allow time to update Fonterra's share register.
 
Financial outlook
 
Fonterra’s FY26 earnings guidance for continuing operations remains unchanged at 50-65 cents per share.
 
Fonterra continues to target earnings to return to FY25 levels by FY28, offsetting the Mainland Group divestment, through focused execution of its strategy.
 
Notes:

The sale comprises:

Fonterra’s global Consumer business and Consumer brands, excluding the consumer business in Greater China where Fonterra will continue to own the Anchor brand;
The integrated Foodservice and Ingredients business in Oceania;
The integrated Foodservice business in Sri Lanka;
The Middle East and Africa Foodservice business.

The product supply agreements between Fonterra and Lactalis are:

Raw Milk Supply Agreement – Fonterra to supply raw milk to Lactalis for a minimum term of 10 years, with automatic renewal until terminated.
Global Supply Agreement – Fonterra to supply ingredients and other products (e.g. bulk cheese) to Lactalis for a minimum period of 6 years, with automatic renewal until terminated.

 
About Fonterra  

Fonterra is a dairy co-operative owned and supplied by thousands of farming families across Aotearoa New Zealand. As a global B2B dairy provider, we go to market through our global Ingredients brand NZMP and global Foodservice brand Anchor Food Professionals, sharing our high-quality products valued for our dairy innovation and science expertise and New Zealand provenance with customers in more than 100 countries around the world. Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do, and we’re committed to taking great care with every drop of milk, from farm through to customer. We are passionate about supporting our communities by Doing Good Together.  

Source: NZ Drug Foundation Te Puna Whakaiti Pāmamae Kai Whakapiri

The NZ Drug Foundation Te Puna Whakaiti Pāmamae Kai Whakapiri says it is crucial drug checking services continue to reach new people as drug use grows and diversifies.

The charity, one of three licenced public drug checking providers, released its annual drug checking report today showing 12% growth in samples tested at its public clinics, with 42% of clients saying it was their first time visiting a drug checking clinic.

The Foundation’s Executive Director Sarah Helm says that drug checking is a vital harm reduction initiative and is especially important in light of surging consumption.

“With a growing and more volatile drug market, drug checking is one of the key tools we have to prevent harm,” she says. “Drug checking is still relatively young as a service, and the fact that more than 40% of clients are new to the service shows that there is still a lot of demand and room for growth.”

“Drug checking saves lives. Clients who visit the service get valuable information about what is in their drugs and how they can stay safer, and through New Zealand’s early warning system High Alert we’re able to tell the wider community when we find anything concerning.”

“12% of the samples we checked were not what people expected – that’s hundreds of people who were able to avoid harmful effects, hospitalisation or even overdose because they visited our service.”

The service saw a significant increase in cocaine, steroids and other performance and image enhancing substances (PIEDS), medicines, and etomidate brought in for testing in 2025, which Helm says is in line with trends in the drug market.

“One great thing about having a free, legal and confidential service like this is we can pick up and respond to changes in the market. The increase in the likes of PIEDS and etomidate has led to us developing a lot more harm reduction information for those substances.”

Notes:

View and download a copy of the report on the NZ Drug Foundation website: https://drugfoundation.org.nz/news-and-reports/report-what-we-saw-at-drug-checking-in-2025
The NZ Drug Foundation is one of three licenced drug checking providers running public clinics, alongside DISC Trust and KnowYourStuffNZ. The report only covers samples tested by the Foundation
NZ Drug Foundation runs drug checking 11am-3pm weekdays out of its Auckland office at 272A Richmond Rd, Grey Lynn, alongside other regular pop-up clinics and festivals.
People can find their nearest drug checking clinic on The Level: https://thelevel.org.nz/drug-checking-clinics