MIL Email Publisher (NZ)

• Bay of Plenty tops ASB’s Regional Economic Scoreboard for the first time in nearly a decade.
• Signs of growth and improved confidence shift Auckland into top half of Scoreboard.
• Strong commodity prices lift Southland into second place.

Bay of Plenty has soared up the rankings to claim the top spot in ASB’s Regional Economic Scoreboard for the June 2025 quarter. The region’s strong performance was driven by a standout kiwifruit season, resilient employment growth, and rising consumer confidence.

Southland and Otago rounded out the top three spots, continuing the South Island’s economic dominance over the past year. Meanwhile, Wellington fell to the bottom of the rankings, weighed down by weak consumer sentiment and ongoing public sector restructuring.

The Scoreboard ranks New Zealand’s 16 regions across key indicators including employment, retail trade, house prices, and consumer confidence. This quarter’s results show rural regions outperforming urban centres, with commodity prices and primary sector strength driving momentum.

“It’s fair to say kiwifruit has brought home the trophy,” says ASB Chief Economist Nick Tuffley. “A strong season has boosted incomes in the Bay, supporting improvements across employment, retail, and housing.”

“The Bay’s labour market has shown impressive resilience, even as nationwide conditions remain subdued. With employment growth holding steady and optimism rising, the Bay is set for continued momentum.”

Regional highlights

• Bay of Plenty has New Zealand’s highest consumer sentiment, solid employment growth (up 3.2%, ranked second), and strong house sales (up 25.8%), despite a slight dip in construction activity.
• Southland jumped from eighth to second place this quarter, buoyed by strong commodity prices and a resilient housing market, with house prices rising 3.4% and sales up 32%.
• Otago maintained third place, supported by tourism and retail strength, though construction and housing indicators softened.
• Auckland climbed five places to rank fifth, showing signs of recovery across retail and improving consumer sentiment.
• Wellington dropped to last with house prices falling 3.3% and consumer confidence low.

“Auckland showed promising signs of life in the June quarter,” says Nick. “Strong population growth and more confident consumers helped lift activity across housing, retail and construction, pushing the City of Sails up five places to rank fifth.”

“While there’s pockets of pain, particularly around employment and house sales, the region is beginning to show the resilience we expect from the country’s largest economic centre.”

National trends

• Retail trade volumes rose 0.5% quarter-on-quarter, with annual growth at 2.3%.
• House sales increased 3.5% quarter-on-quarter, though selling times remain longer than pre-COVID norms.
• Export volumes declined 3.7% over the quarter, reflecting global headwinds and the impact of new US tariffs on NZ goods.
• Net migration continued to ease, with inflows at their lowest since November 2022.

“We’re seeing small pockets of warmth in what’s otherwise an economically chilly quarter,” says Nick. “Retail spending is holding up, and consumer confidence is showing signs of life. That’s encouraging as we head into the second half of the year.”

While inflation edged up to 2.7% and unemployment rose to 5.2%, ASB notes signs of resilience in household spending and sentiment.

Looking ahead

“The new 15% US tariffs imposed on NZ goods are expected to weigh slightly on the country’s economic recovery, but the full impact remains to be watched. Meanwhile, with a further 25bp cut to the OCR in August and an additional 50bp signalled by the RBNZ, we expect improvements are on the horizon, even if the pace is slower than initially projected.”

The full ASB Regional Economic Scoreboard, along with other recent ASB reports covering a range of commentary, can be accessed at our ASB Economic Insights page: https://www.asb.co.nz/documents/economic-insights.html

Latest ASB Regional Economic Scoreboard

About the ASB Regional Economic Scoreboard

The NZ Regional Economic Scoreboard takes the latest quarterly regional statistics and ranks the economic performance of New Zealand's 16 Regional Council areas. The fastest growing regions gain the highest ratings, and a good performance by the national economy raises the ratings of all regions. Ratings are updated every three months, and are based on 8 measures, including population, employment, retail trade, house prices, house sales, construction, consumer confidence, and new car registration.

12 September 2025 – AUCKLAND, New Zealand – The March for Humanity, organised by Aotearoa for Palestine, will proceed tomorrow as a powerful demonstration of public demand for New Zealand to impose immediate diplomatic and economic sanctions on Israel.

Despite a drastic change to the weather forecast in the last 24 hours, that now shows unsafe wind speeds on the Auckland Harbour Bridge, the march will go ahead with a changed route. The start time remains 9:30 AM, Saturday, but will now assemble at Aotea Square. The march will then proceed through the CBD, concluding at Victoria Park.

“People have travelled from across Aotearoa to join this historic protest, and tomorrow we will March for Humanity through the Auckland CBD – united in our call for the New Zealand Government to impose sanctions on Israel. Community safety is paramount, and so too is our collective voice for justice.” Said Aotearoa for Palestine spokesperson, Nadine Mortaja.

Bianca Ranson, spokesperson for Kaiāwhina marshals added, “Our foremost duty as Kaiāwhina is to protect and care for our communities. After reviewing multiple weather models, including a forecast commissioned twice from MetService specifically for the Harbour Bridge, it is clear that predicted winds of 75–85km/h make the crossing unsafe. Postponing the Harbour Bridge march is the only responsible course of action.”

This route change is not expected to dampen overwhelming public support. Mortaja confirmed, “Despite the route change, The March for Humanity will be the largest march for Palestine in New Zealand’s history. And if the government fails to listen to the people tomorrow, and uphold its duty to prevent and punish Israel’s genocide on Gaza, we are still committed to marching over the Auckland Harbour Bridge – that just wont be tomorrow.”

The organisers urge all attendees to dress appropriately for the weather and prepare for a historic and impactful day.

“Tomorrow, 140 Kaiāwhina marshals will be on the ground in the Auckland CBD to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our communities. We encourage everyone to remain steadfast and committed to the March for Humanity. We still expect thousands to turn out and make their voices heard. For those needing assistance, medics will be clearly identifiable in pink vests, and Kaiāwhina marshals in green vests will be present throughout the march to provide care and support,” Ranson added.

Event Details:

What: March for Humanity

When: Saturday, 9:30 AM

Where: NEW ROUTE – Assembling at Aotea Square, proceeding through CBD, ending at Victoria Park.

About Aotearoa for Palestine: Aotearoa for Palestine is a Palestinian- and Māori-led group, committed to the Palestinian people’s struggle for freedom, justice, and dignity in their own land.

For the first time Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) helicopters have flown between two countries, crossing a large swathe of ocean.

Two No. 3 Squadron NH90 helicopters recently flew from Cairns, in Australia, to Papua New Guinea.

The aircrews flew 453 nautical miles across the Coral Sea Basin to PNG’s capital, Port Moresby, the furthest the New Zealand NH90s have ever flown over water.  

The trip took just under four hours.

The flight followed a successful deployment to Exercise Talisman Sabre in Australia and the NH90s were than able to take part in PNG’s independence celebrations.

“It was an honour to be invited to take part in the PNG 50th Anniversary celebrations,” said Air Component Commander Air Commodore Andy Scott.

“The timing of the event after Ex Talisman Sabre provided a fantastic opportunity for our Rotary Wing team to take part both in the celebrations and in supporting the transport of critical equipment out into the provinces.”

One of the pilots who flew the journey, Flight Lieutenant Hayley Vincent, said two 500kg external gas tanks were fitted, making for a “different silhouette”.

An extra internal gas tank was also fitted, but that fuel was not required.

The unique flight was given an international Kiwi call-sign instead of the Warrior call-sign used for national flights.

Beforehand, a long-range flight from RNZAF Base Ohakea to Invercargill was carried out.

“A fuel graph was generated predicting the amount of fuel burned at various waypoints, taking into account aircraft weights and details, helping us keep an accurate track of fuel burn during the flight, with trends to help with decision making,” Flight Lieutenant Vincent said.

“It showed the expected departure fuel, the expected arrival fuel, and the minimum departure and arrival fuels, helping to calculate safe points for the aircraft to continue or turn around if necessary. Factors such as aircraft weight and extreme weather make a difference to safe decision points.”

Those calculations were essential for the Australia-to-PNG flight, where storms often gather in the afternoons around Port Moresby.

Flight Lieutenant Vincent said she felt “nervous excitement” at the start of the flight, but said there were detailed preparations.

“When we got to Papua New Guinea, there were a lot of happy faces. People were very excited to be the first Kiwi NH90 aircrew to fly from one country to another.”

“There was a celebration in the helicopter when the crew saw PNG for the first time,’’ she said.

“We saw land sooner than we thought we would, but the mountains there are massive.

“The success of the mission highlights the utility of the aircraft with long-range tanks which provided further deployment options for moving around the region when Navy ships or partner aircraft like the C-17 Globemaster are unavailable,” Flight Lieutenant Vincent said.

The crews have since returned to Australia and will continue to be based out of RAAF Townsville. Plans for the return of the aircraft to New Zealand are being finalised.

The 2025 Copyright Licensing New Zealand (CLNZ) and New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa PEN NZ Inc (NZSA) Research Grants have been awarded to four writers in Aotearoa.

The $5,000 grants support local writers who wish to undertake research for a fiction or non-fiction writing project.

The judging panel, Siobhan Harvey, Vasanti Unka and Vaughan Rapatahana said, “Allowing authors funding and time to undertake research into the development of their creative writings is a true gift. We honour Copyright Licensing New Zealand and the New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa PEN NZ Inc for the collective administration of these research grants and, therein and more broadly, the assistance provided to New Zealand writers and writing. It was an honour to judge each of the 46 applications for this year’s grants. We do encourage all New Zealand authors to submit to the CLNZ/NZSA grants in future.”

Join us in congratulating the CLNZ | NZSA Research Grants 2025 recipients!

Rosetta Allan with project ‘The Good Uncle’

Rosetta Allan is a novelist, essayist, and manuscript assessor based in Tāmaki Makaurau, with a strong interest in how family, addiction, and moral responsibility intersect.
The Good Uncle, my novel in development, explores the pull of generational loyalty through the story of a woman determined to save her brother from relapse—and from the grip of a charismatic uncle with a criminal past.

Set between the Kaipara Harbour and inner-city Auckland, the novel navigates buried secrets, personal agency, and the long shadow of familial harm. With support from the CLNZ | NZSA Research Grant, which I am very grateful for, I’ll be deepening my research into addiction recovery, family justice systems, and the emotional aftermath of intergenerational trauma.

The 2025 judging panel said – “this literary fiction project about whānau set in the Kaipara offers insight upon navigating bureaucracy and personal trauma. The applicant offered an extensive and cogent outline of grant use including Environmental Fieldwork at the Kaipara Harbour and Urban and Systemic Research in Auckland (CYF/Oranga Tamariki offices, Family Court etc). The resulting novel will undoubtedly be authentic and impactful.”

Taryn Dryfhout with project Ngā Tini Ara o te Tamariki: A Complete History of Adoption in Aotearoa New Zealand

Taryn Dryfhout is a Māori academic, teacher, and writer whose work explores the intersections of adoption, western frameworks, and Māori worldviews. She is currently completing a PhD that examines Māori worldviews and cultural adoption.
 
Taryn will be working on the first comprehensive account of the history of adoption in Aotearoa New Zealand.

From the earliest examples of informal care arrangements in early colonial history, to the introduction of formal adoption laws, and the enduring Māori practice of whāngai dating back to before the arrival of the British, this book will trace how New Zealanders have cared for and raised children across generations. It will explore the legal, cultural, and personal dimensions of adoption, including stories of love, loss, identity, and belonging, while capturing the social forces that have shaped these practices over time. The book will offer a rich and inclusive account of how New Zealanders have formed, nurtured, and redefined family over time.

Taryn’s work aims to bridge scholarly research and accessible storytelling, contributing to meaningful conversations about care, identity, and indigenous knowledge systems in Aotearoa.

The 2025 judging panel said – “this is a project of national significance, aiming to be the first book the first book to offer a full, accessible account of the history of adoption in this country. A complex project, the grant will help enable travel and accommodation for fieldwork and archival access across the motu, as well as conducting face-to-face interviews with people, including Māori participants. We look forward to seeing the resulting publication”

Jacquie Mcrae with project  Wākainga, a historical novel set in Aotearoa, in 1863

Jacquie Mcrae (Tainui and Ngāti Koata) is an award-winning fiction writer, published by Huia. She has a master’s in creative writing and mentors for the New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa (PEN NZ) and Māori Literature Trust on Te Papa Tupu. She is on the Michael King Writers Centre board.

History happened but how we view it depends on who is telling the story.

This historical novel is Ika’s story, a young boy who leaves his home, on Rangitoto ki te Tonga (D’urville island) in 1863 to go to war in the Waikato. Ika’s view of the world was based in mātauranga māori (traditional māori knowledge.) He looked to his ancestors and te taiao (the natural world) to guide him. At the battle of Rangiriri he saw many of his whanau die, including his mother and father. Some managed to swim the river to safety but 180 others were taken prisoner, marched to Auckland and held captive on a ship, anchored in the Waitematā harbour. They were never charged with anything but held onboard for eight months before the ship was taken to Kawau island and from here they escaped. This novel looks at the loss of life, land, and freedom and the impact this had.

The 2025 judging panel said – “this project will be the author’s third book. Publisher support is provided for an intriguing book about Ika, a thirteen-year-old boy who leaves his home, on Rangitoto ki te Tonga (D’urville island) to go to war in the Waikato. This grant will allow the author to extend initial personal whakapapa research through access to the Auckland Library’s Governor Grey’s collection and archival footage and voice recordings housed in both Ngāti Koata head office in Whakatū and the National Library of NZ. We can’t wait to read this novel.”

Pauline (Vaeluaga) Smith with project – My New Zealand Story: The Dawn Raid Apology (Working Title)

Pauline (Vaeluaga) Smith is an author and educationalist of Samoan, Tuvaluan, Scottish and Irish descent based in the seaside town of Aparima/Riverton.
Her first book My New Zealand Story: Dawn Raid, was a finalist at the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young People in the Esther Glen, Junior Fiction and Best First Book categories. It was the winner of the Best First Book for 2018 and gained a Storylines Notable Book award.

The project My New Zealand Story – The Dawn Raid Apology is a companion text to her first book. This new work will combine the journey of her first-hand experience along with her Polynesian Panther colleagues to advocate for and secure a full, formal, public apology for the Dawn Raids. The grant will be critical to supporting interviews, research and development of this manuscript to bring the history and importance of the apology to life.

The 2025 judging panel said – “this is an exciting and commendable YA fiction follow up to the author’s My New Zealand Story Dawn Raid. In addition to composing the proposed work from firsthand experience, the author will use the grant to provide time and resources to meet with and interview several key people who worked towards getting The Dawn Raid’s apology.

CLNZ and NZSA are delighted to assist New Zealand authors in their research efforts. Research Grants are funded through the CLNZ Cultural Fund, which derives its revenue from a 2% share of domestic licensing income and from overseas revenue.

CLNZ and NZSA would like to thank the 2025 Judging Panel – Siobhan Harvey, Vaughan Rapatahana and Vasanti Unka.

The New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa is proud to be administering the awards in 2025.
Copyright Licensing New Zealand (CLNZ) plays a key role in making creative rights valuable assets for all New Zealanders, be they rightsholders like writers, publishers and artists, or users of creative works such as educators, students and businesses. CLNZ manages the Cultural Fund, which derives its revenue from licensing income.
 
New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi O Aotearoa (NZSA) is the principal organisation representing over 1800 writers in Aotearoa New Zealand. Founded in 1934, we administer prizes and awards, provide professional development opportunities, offer mentorship and assessment programmes, and have a national network of branches. NZSA collaborates across the book sector to make NZ writing and NZ writers more visible. We advocate for writers' rights and champion fair reward. NZSA is a not-for-profit incorporated society and a registered charitable entity – CC61705 www.authors.org.nz

12 September 2025 – A helicopter pilot has been convicted for flying without a license or certificate and obstruction.

The defendant had, since early 2020, advertised and undertaken paid scenic flights around the Alexandra and Clyde area of the South Island without an Air Operator’s Certificate and without the correct pilot licence.

In 2021, the defendant failed to appear in court to answer charges and was found guilty on all counts in his absence. After protracted legal proceedings the defendant was sentenced at the Dunedin High Court.

“CAA prosecutions are uncommon but, when necessary, they are pursued to protect the integrity of New Zealand’s aviation system and the public who rely on it,” said CAA Deputy Chief Executive, Dean Winter.

“This individual repeatedly disregarded the rules that exist to keep aviation safe for everyone. The vast majority of our aviation community operates responsibly and professionally, so when someone deliberately tries to game the system, we will hold them to account.”

The CAA’s intervention prevented further unsafe flights, including instances where members of the public were at risk.