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BusinessNZ – New school subjects fit for changing world of work

Source: BusinessNZ

The inclusion of future-focused subject areas in NCEA reform is a positive step towards preparing young New Zealanders for a rapidly changing world of work, BusinessNZ says.
Chief Executive Katherine Rich says digital technologies are quickly adopted by businesses, and that building the necessary skills into the school curriculum will better equip our future workforce.
“The way businesses work, produce, and compete globally is shifting quickly and will continue to do so alongside the transformation of our educational system. By introducing advanced science and technology into our senior secondary qualifications, students get the introduction and tools they need to confidently pursue a career in this field.”
Rich says digital technologies including AI are disrupting traditional skillsets across all sectors, and that our education system needs to be aligned to the opportunities these changes provide.
“Educational reforms need to be practical and transparent so that all stakeholders understand the knowledge and skills students will gain. 
“The next step is to ensure the design and implementation of the new subjects and curriculum is consistent, well-resourced, and co-designed with industry to meet the real needs of the economy, both now and down the line.”
The BusinessNZ Network including BusinessNZ, EMA, Business Central, Business Canterbury and Business South, represents and provides services to thousands of businesses, small and large, throughout New Zealand.
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Energy and Environment – Damning MBIE report: Coal imports skyrocket, power prices remain high

Source: Greenpeace

MBIE’s latest quarterly energy report, released today, shows electricity prices remain stubbornly high. The report comes amidst a string of manufacturing and mill closures where high energy costs were cited as a key factor for the closures.
The report also shows coal imports increased 650%, from 71.5 kilotonnes in the June 2024 quarter to 539 kilotonnes in the June 2025 quarter as shipments of coal arrived in the country to increase the stockpile for electricity generation.
Greenpeace is accusing the Luxon Government of “completely fumbling the ball on the energy crisis,” pointing to decisions they say have worsened the situation:
Greenpeace campaigner Gen Toop says: “This Government has fumbled the ball on the energy crisis, and now New Zealanders, and the climate, are paying the price.
“This Government’s approach is locking in higher costs and more climate pollution. Importing more dirty coal for energy generation is the opposite of what is needed to bring down power prices and climate emissions.
“Solar and wind are the cheapest forms of new electricity. The Government needs to invest in renewables, particularly rooftop solar, to bring costs down and tackle the climate crisis at the same time,” Toop said
Transpower figures show only 986MW of new generation has been committed and financed – far short of the 1,500 GWh they say is needed every year until 2031. Meanwhile, the four gentailers paid out a record $1.37 billion to their shareholders this year while investing less than that in new generation.
“Gentailers make more money when Huntly is burning coal so they have squatted on renewable consents for years without building on them, in order to keep expensive fossil fuels in the system,” said Toop.
“This Government seems more interested in supporting profiteering power companies and outdated extractive industries, than they do in backing cheap renewables which would bring down power prices, ” adds Toop.
“Their Fast Track Act has made the whole situation worse. Seabed mining, currently in the fast track process, has chased offshore wind developers away.
“This Government is hamstrung by its own broken neoliberal ideology. Deregulation and privatisation of the energy sector has skyrocketed power prices, yet they’re still clinging on to their failed free-market experiment.”
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Weather News – A burst of spring showers – MetService

Source: MetService

Covering period of Thursday 11th – Monday 15th September – The mixed bag of changeable spring weather continues for the next few days.

On Friday, a fast-moving rainband will cross the upper North Island, bringing a burst of heavy rain, with the risk of thunderstorms and strong winds gusting 80 km/h.

MetService has issued Heavy Rain Watches for Auckland and Coromandel Peninsula early Friday morning, and for Bay of Plenty ranges east of the Otara River until early evening.

A Strong Wind Watch has been issued for Northland.

MetService meteorologist Michael Pawley adds, “With the heavy rain before dawn, Auckland commuters should take it easy and look out for surface water on the roads. Even after the early morning rain, thunderstorms with strong winds are possible over the upper North Island from mid-morning into the afternoon, so take extra care.”

A line of showers will also push northwards up the South Island on Friday, with possible thunderstorms and hail for southern Canterbury Plains.  

It will be a blustery start to the weekend, as a brisk west to southwest wind sets in, especially for coastal parts of Southland and the Canterbury High Country.

Large waves are also expected this weekend generated by these strong winds, arriving first in the west but also affecting eastern coasts.

The next band of rain will move up the west coast of the South Island on Saturday morning, then onto the North Island in the afternoon.

There will be a local advantage in Wellington as the winds ramp up in time for the 7.05pm kick off when the All Blacks face South Africa.

“As a Wellington local, my advice is simple: wear a hat with a chinstrap, skip the umbrella, and don’t waste time blow-drying or styling your mullet,” recommends Michael.

From Sunday, the wind and showers begin to ease but a few could linger in Dunedin for the marathon, so supporters should pack a rain jacket.

The spring temperature pendulum also continues to swing. Hastings has a forecast maximum temperature of 11°C on Friday but this rises to 21°C early next week.

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Transport Sector – Promising future for low emission freight certificates

Source: Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand

The peak body for road freight, Transporting New Zealand is welcoming progress on Low Emission Freight Certificates, a practical emissions reduction tool for trucking businesses and their customers.
Formerly known as Renewable Freight Certificates, the framework is a market-based incentive for freight customers to reduce their supply chain emissions.
Certificates would be granted to road freight companies operating low-emission vehicles, based on freight tonnage and distance moved. Road freight customers anywhere in the country could buy these certificates to reduce their supply chain (Scope 3) emissions, helping to fund cleaner freight options.
Updates given on the programme at the Sustainable Business Council’s Climate Change and Business Conference earlier this week showed there are many freight businesses and procurers of freight services ready to participate.
Chief Executive of Transporting New Zealand, Dom Kalasih says that the certificate system would enable freight companies and their customers to make meaningful strides towards decarbonisation without compromising productivity.
“Transporting New Zealand supports this initiative from the Sustainable Business Council and DETA. It recognises that freight customers have a key role to play in helping transport companies invest in lower emission technologies.”
“These low emission freight certificates allow freight customers to pay a premium for a lower emission product. This will allow further investment in lower emission technology by freight operators.”
Kalasih also highlighted practical energy efficiency measures that all road freight companies could investigate.
“While we’re excited about the progress on low emission freight certificates, we also want people to know that you don’t have to drive a battery electric or hydrogen vehicle to make a difference,” Kalasih said.
Transporting New Zealand acknowledges the many barriers to decarbonising road freight, not least high capital costs and availability of charging infrastructure.
“Upgrading New Zealand’s fleet to low and zero-emissions vehicles will be costly in the short-term, and most operators cannot make that upfront investment right now. But there are actions that all operators can take.
“Route optimisation, backloading, regular maintenance and utilising larger, higher capacity trucks are all proven methods to increase fuel efficiency and reduce emissions.”
Kalasih said Transporting New Zealand are also planning to launch a heavy vehicle decarbonisation resource at the end of October and would release more details shortly.
About Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand
Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand is the peak national membership association representing the road freight transport industry. Our members operate urban, rural and inter- regional commercial freight transport services throughout the country.
Road is the dominant freight mode in New Zealand, transporting 92.8% of the freight task on a tonnage basis, and 75.1% on a tonne-km basis. The road freight transport industry employs over 34,000 people across more than 4700 businesses, with an annual turnover of $6 billion. 
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Defence News – NZDF delivers essential items to remote PNG areas

Source: New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF)

A New Zealand Defence Force C-130J Hercules and two NH90 helicopters have delivered equipment, medical gear and clothing to remote areas of Papua New Guinea.

The flights took place over two weeks, while the nation was celebrating its 50th anniversary of independence.

Among No. 40 Squadron’s C-130J deliveries were first aid equipment, clothing and books.

The squadron’s liaison officer for the C-130J, Flight Lieutenant Mick Wansink, said the PNG deployment wasn’t one they had the opportunity to do very often.

“It's great being able to fly around these islands for the crew. The flying has provided plenty of challenges manoeuvring into smaller airfields that are not used as often by aircraft of this size.

“Operating in new environments adds elements that we don't typically have to deal with back in New Zealand,” Flight Lieutenant Wansink said.

The NH90s travelled to small remote areas throughout the country where fixed-wing aircraft are unable to land.

They delivered about 2000kg of mosquito nets to the rural population. Malaria is a serious concern in the Pacific nation, with roughly 90 per cent of the population living in areas at risk of infection.

Scholastica Rim, from Rotarians Against Malaria, joined one of the flights to a remote village in the country’s highlands.

“Being able to deliver the mosquito nets is going to reduce malaria and protect the local populations,” she said.

“The regions are so remote that the only means to bring the nets in is by aircraft, so that's what we are doing. That's awesome.”

The NH90s also moved an 800kg mini-excavator to workers in remote farmland in the Kiru village to Keapara in Rigo District Central. The equipment needed to be moved 4km and across a lagoon if the NH90 had not been available.

No. 3 Squadron Flight Commander, Flight Lieutenant Paul Robinson, said it was rewarding to be able to help communities that wouldn't be able to achieve the tasks without their support and capability.

The heat, reaching around 30°C each day was a challenge for the air and ground crews, he said.

“The heat affects both the aircraft and the personnel – we need to make sure the helicopters have the power required to do what’s needed, as well as the crews looking after themselves.

“During the deployment the ground crews have been putting in long hours in the hot temperatures and it’s hats off to what they have been able to put out for us,” Flight Lieutenant Robinson said.

An RNZAF Boeing 757 also flew military bands from Fiji, Tonga and Vanuatu to PNG to take part in a military tattoo as part of independence celebrations.

Air Component Commander Air Commodore Andy Scott said supporting New Zealand’s Pacific neighbours was an important role for the RNZAF.

“It’s great to see our crews getting the mahi done when they travel away from New Zealand. The job is always more challenging in a different environment, but the ground crew, the aircrews and all the support staff have all contributed to a successful mission.

“It’s an honour to be here to help celebrate PNG’s important milestone and to be able to successfully deliver the support out to the provinces is a credit to the whole deployed team,” Air Commodore Scott said.

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Asian ethnic population projected to increase – National ethnic population projections: 2023(base)–2048 – Stats NZ news story and information release

Asian ethnic population projected to increase – news story

11 September 2025

Around 33 percent of Aotearoa New Zealand’s population are likely to identify with Asian ethnicities in 2048, up from 19 percent in 2023, according to projections released by Stats NZ today.

Within the broad Asian grouping, those identifying with Indian ethnicities are projected to increase from 7 percent of New Zealand’s population in 2023 to around 12 percent in 2048. Over the same period, those identifying with Chinese ethnicities are projected to increase from 6 percent to around 8 percent.

The projections also indicate above average growth of the populations identifying with Māori, Pacific, and Middle Eastern/Latin American/African (MELAA) ethnicities over the next two decades. This continues the demographic trends of recent decades.

Visit our website to read this news story and information release:

 

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Advocacy – Let Children Live! Save the Children and Amnesty International launch global campaign to protect the lives of children trapped in Gaza

Source: Save the Children

Save the Children and Amnesty International have launched a global campaign aimed at raising awareness of the 2.38 million Palestinian children, still alive, growing up in unbearable conditions in the occupied Palestinian territory.
The campaign – Let Children Live – is a global call to action to remind the world what is at stake: the future of children struggling to survive one of the most urgent and devastating crises of our time. In 2024, Gaza was declared the deadliest place on earth to be a child, while more recently, famine has been confirmed, and the death toll of Palestinian children has risen to more than 20,000.
Of the 2.38 million Palestinian children alive, the Palestinian authorities have provided Amnesty International and Save the Children International with 1.2 million names. The aim of Let Children Live is to have each name carried and honoured by someone across the world, amplifying the call to protect children’s lives and futures.
Aotearoa New Zealand will lead the Global Day of Action on Saturday 13 September, the Saturday before the UN General Assembly deadline on 18 September for Israel to end its unlawful occupation. In Auckland, staff from each organisation will carry children’s names on posters and signs as part of the Harbour Bridge March for Humanity, while across the motu, New Zealanders are encouraged to take the campaign to other community rallies or share online.
“Each name carried is a child who is alive. We refuse to let these children become statistics. We carry their names, say them out loud, and demand protection, justice, and an end to the violence,” says Save the Children New Zealand CEO Heather Campbell.
“This campaign seeks to influence public discourse and political will ahead of a critical UN deadline. It also sends a powerful message of solidarity and visibility to children and families in occupied Palestinian territory.”
The organisations are calling on New Zealanders to join the campaign by registering at the campaign site www.letchildrenlive.com. Every person who registers will receive a unique child’s name and age, a social asset to share online and printable poster.
“Each name becomes your responsibility. We ask you to share with the world – within your social media feeds, in the streets, in your local community. As a stand for our collective humanity, we must ensure each and every child is seen and their life made visible,” says Amnesty International Aotearoa Executive Director Jacqui Dillon.
“By putting the names and lives of children at the forefront, we call on the world to uphold international law and protect children’s rights ahead of the UN General Assembly’s one-year deadline for Israel to end its occupation found unlawful by the International Court of Justice. Member states, in line with the UNGA resolution and international law, to work together to bring the occupation to an end.”
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Climate – Declining sea-ice is altering Antarctic food webs – Earth Sciences NZ

Source: Earth Sciences New Zealand

A new study shows a significant change in Antarctic phytoplankton over time that could cascade through the marine food web and affect the ocean’s capacity as a carbon sink.
The study reveals that diatoms, a major group of microscopic phytoplankton, are declining across large areas of the Southern Ocean due to being outcompeted by smaller, less nutritious phytoplankton species.
Earth Sciences New Zealand (formerly NIWA) principal scientist Dr Matt Pinkerton says that as microscopic single-celled algae are the first link in the ocean food web and support krill, any changes to these phytoplankton communities may have a negative flow-on effect.
“Phytoplankton are often described as the ‘grass of the ocean’. These tiny marine algae sustain the Antarctic food web, supporting a diverse array of Antarctic life, from zooplankton to fish, seabed corals, and apex predators, including seals, whales, and penguins. Changes at the base of the marine food web will ripple through from the grazers of these algae to the whole system.”
The study in Nature Climate Change, was led by Dr Alexander Hayward, a former NIWA and University of Otago PhD student, who is now a climate scientist at the Danish Meteorological Institute in Copenhagen. 
“We may be witnessing a fundamental reorganisation of life around Antarctica,” Dr Hayward said.
Satellite data, along with samples collected from the Ross Sea as part of New Zealand’s Antarctic Science Platform (ASP), were analysed together with data from other regions of the Southern Ocean. The researchers from Denmark, New Zealand, Australia, Spain and the USA, developed methods to track changes in different Southern Ocean phytoplankton communities over time.
The researchers found that the gradual increase in Antarctic sea-ice between 1997 and 2016 was accompanied by a change in the phytoplankton community. However, as the sea-ice subsequently decreased between 2016 and 2023, the phytoplankton community changed again.
Earth Sciences NZ principal scientist Cliff Law says the flow-on effects could also disrupt the ocean’s ability to lock away carbon.
“These billions of green cells in the surface ocean that nobody really thinks about are absolutely vital. The diatoms are particularly important in sequestering carbon, absorbing it at the ocean surface and carrying down to the deep as they sink, thereby locking it away from the atmosphere.”
Dr Pinkerton says projecting the future effects of climate change on Antarctic ecosystems is complex but critical.
“Understanding how Southern Ocean phytoplankton communities respond to climate change will help us to prepare for flow-on effects on the rest of the ecosystem. Our research has developed advanced food web models for the Ross Sea region. These new models include more information and have a better consideration of uncertainties in order to make them more useful for informing decision-making about marine management.”
Research into the impact of climate change on plankton and marine food webs in the Ross Sea will continue as part of the Antarctic Science Platform Tranche 2, with further research voyages of Earth Sciences New Zealand's RV Tangaroa to this region. The scientists say increased use of sensors on unmanned buoys (ARGO) and satellite data will improve understanding of how changes in sea ice may result in ecosystem change.
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Events – Keep Our Assets (KOA) Public Meeting September 16 To Witness Candidates Sign Pledge Not To Sell Assets

Source:  Keep Our Assets (KOA)

PUBLIC MEETING
TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 16, 7 P.M.
WEA HALL, 59 GLOUCESTER ST, ChCh

The purpose is to invite as many candidates as possible to publicly sign a pledge not to sell assets (see below for pledge wording)

Asset sales is the issue that won't die. It was hardly mentioned at the 2022 election, then suddenly sprung on the people of Christchurch shortly afterwards and narrowly averted.

So, in 2025, Keep Our Assets (KOA) is reviving something we last utilised in the 2013 election – calling on candidates to sign a pledge not to sell assets.

There will be three speakers, speaking for ten minutes each

The three speakers, in order, are Murray Horton, as KOA Convenor; youth activist Aurora Garner-Randolph and Paul McMahon, Co-Chair of The People's Choice (TPC)

Topics: Murray on the Christchurch assets issue, from the KOA perspective; Aurora on what public ownership of key public assets means for her generation; Paul on TPC's policy on asset sales.

Following Paul McMahon's speech, meeting chair Paul Watson will invite candidates present to sign KOA's pledge to not sell assets.

The pledge will be present as individual A4 certificates to be signed by one person each (and for them to keep). And as one big A2 sheet for multiple people to sign and for KOA to keep. We'd like to get a photo op with that big signed sheet.

Here is the pledge and its explanatory notes (the pledge is only for candidates to sign, not members of the public):

https://www.cafca.org.nz/uncategorised/2025/07/keep-our-assets-pledge/

I pledge to maintain Christchurch’s key strategic assets in public ownership and control and to utilise the ownership to build a community development strategy for Ōtautahi/Christchurch looking decades into the future.

Notes:

A community development strategy means to utilise the assets in ways which would include:

  • Maximising the training of apprentices across all trades associated with the assets
  • Provision of retraining opportunities in cases of private sector business failure
  • Provide leading models of good employment practices for the private sector to aspire to
  • Provide opportunities to expand housing initiatives for tenants and families on low incomes
  • Future proofing the assets so infrastructure development is maintained through the long term rather than providing short term profits
  • Foster community pride through owning the assets rather than “renting” them from the private sector 
  • Develop the assets to invest in public transport initiatives with their economic, social and environmental benefits
  • Maintain the ability to react immediately in times of crisis (e.g. our airport and port would be our lifelines to the outside world in times of crisis)
  • Reducing greenhouse gas emissions to the greatest extent possible in order to contribute to the goal of keeping global temperature increases well below +2 degrees C.

Murray Horton
Convenor 
Keep Our Assets-Canterbury

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Property Market Analysis – Which parts of NZ are seeing supply outpace demand? – Cotality

Source: Cotality, Analysis from Kelvin Davidson, Cotality NZ Chief Property Economist

Strong supply growth in Auckland & Wellington

Based on the analysis, Wellington and Auckland are two primary areas in New Zealand where property supply has outpaced population growth between 2019 and 2024.
In Wellington, the population actually saw a small decline of 1.0% in the five years to 2024, while the dwelling stock increased by 4.3%. This caused the occupancy rate to drop from 2.97 to 2.82. While the recent property value downturn is partly an unwinding of previous affordability stress, this loosening of the supply and demand balance also played a role.
Auckland's population grew by a robust 7.0% over the same period, but this was exceeded by an even stronger 10.3% increase in dwelling stock. This eased Auckland's occupancy rate from 3.45 to 3.34.
This easing in the physical supply and demand balance aligns with the weakness in Auckland's property values, although it is also worth noting that the recent construction mix in Auckland has been dominated by townhouses, which are smaller and have a naturally lower occupancy rate.

Conversely, areas like Hamilton and Tauranga are seeing a tightening of the supply/demand balance, as their population growth has outpaced dwelling supply – more detail on the next page.

Nationally, from 2019 to 2024, the population grew by 6.4%, while housing stock increased by 7.5%. This resulted in the average number of people per dwelling, or occupancy rate, easing from 2.99 to 2.96 over the five-year period. 
This figure suggests that the overall market is well-balanced, with the long-run average of 2.97 people per house sitting close to the current rate. This balance is also supported by the recent lack of growth in property values and rentals.

A varying picture across other areas

Other main centres, such as Tauranga and Hamilton, present the opposite scenario, with double-digit population growth outpacing the rise in dwelling stock. Between 2019 and 2024, Hamilton's population increased by 10.3% while its dwellings grew by 8.1%, and Tauranga saw population growth of 10.2% compared to a 5.9% rise in dwellings. Although these areas are not experiencing a property value boom, their markets have been more resilient than those in Auckland and Wellington, with less improvement in housing affordability.

Focusing on other population hotspots, like Selwyn, Queenstown-Lakes, Waikato District, and Waimakariri, construction activity has largely kept pace with population growth. From 2019 to 2024, dwelling stock grew by 12.7% in Waimakariri, 29.8% in Selwyn, and 13.8% in Waikato. Market feedback suggests these areas are well-balanced in terms of property availability and do not show the same clear affordability strains.

However, Queenstown-Lakes remains an exception. Despite its dwelling stock growing slightly faster than its population between 2019 and 2024, the area's property values remain high and affordability pressures intense. This highlights the unique market dynamics of Queenstown, where accumulated wealth helps to insulate property values even with strong supply growth.

Supply and demand isn’t everything, but still vital

While the physical supply and demand balance over short periods does not explain all changes in property values or affordability, it is obviously an important factor. Other influences, such as available listings, or changes in wealth and income, also play a significant role. However, when looking at this data in isolation, it suggests that property values in Wellington and Auckland may remain relatively soft, while other main centres like Hamilton and Tauranga could see stronger performance.