Posts

Posted on

NZ economy: Differences & Challenges – BusinessNZ

Source: BusinessNZ

The BusinessNZ Planning Forecast for the September quarter reports on a divide in the NZ economy, with growth in the rural and regional economy, but a downswing in some large urban sectors including Auckland and Wellington.
BusinessNZ Chief Economist John Pask says the divide is reflected in a range of economic indicators including export sales, employment growth, unemployment rates, house price movements, construction activity and broader business and consumer activity.
Overall, however, international factors continue to influence all aspects of the economy.
“At the international level, the economic outlook remains challenging, although financial markets are becoming so used to pricing in upheavals and geopolitical risk that they are taking those challenges in their stride,” Mr Pask said.
“But for NZ, the challenges remain, and are resulting in low levels of demand and unwillingness to invest.
There are no quick fixes for any of these symptoms, however a good starting point would be to get more certainty in the business environment, and for NZ’s main political parties to reach a greater level of agreement on the issues affecting investment – particularly in much-needed infrastructure – rather than promising to cancel previous decisions whether they are sound or not.”
The BusinessNZ Economic Conditions Index, a measure of NZ’s major economic indicators) sits at 3 for the September 2025 quarter, an improvement of 2 on the previous quarter, and the same as a year ago. (An ECI reading above 0 indicates economic conditions are generally improving; below 0 that economic conditions are generally declining.)
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.
Posted on

Greenpeace – Power company ‘vampires’ bleed households dry to fund 1.4 billion dollar shareholder payout

Source: Greenpeace

Greenpeace is labelling the big four power companies ‘vampires’, for an expected record payout of $1.4 billion to their shareholders. Mercury, Contact and Genesis have already announced an increase to their shareholder payouts in their annual results. The final gentailer, Meridian, is expected to confirm its increased shareholder payouts today and bring the total to $1.4 bn.
Stats NZ confirmed electricity prices jumped 4.9% in the June quarter, the steepest rise in over a decade, with prices increasing 10.4% in the year ended June. Consumer NZ found 20% of people have had difficulty paying their power bill in the past year – up from 18% last year.
“Families and businesses are being slammed by record high power bills, all so that the big four power companies can siphon off an expected $1.4 billion for their shareholders,” says Greenpeace Aotearoa campaigner Gen Toop
“This is corporate blood-sucking at its most brutal”.
“Instead of re-investing their revenue into building more clean, cheap renewables that would bring power bills down, these corporate vampires are bleeding households and the economy dry to fund their record shareholder payout. And the Government is just letting them do it.”
This year Contact Energy increased its total payout to $384 million, Mercury paid $202 million despite its profits collapsing to just $1m, and Genesis Energy handed out $157 million, even as it hiked household bills by 7.6% and corporate bills by 10.6%.
Meridian is expected to maintain record payouts after funnelling $462 million to shareholders last year. In 2024, the four firms paid out just over $1.3b in divid

Posted on

Consumer NZ – Rising cost of insurance prompts call for action on affordability and climate risks

Source: Consumer NZ

Consumer NZ releases a sobering report that highlights how house insurance is becoming increasingly out of reach for New Zealanders.

Consumer NZ’s report reveals that house insurance costs have risen by a staggering 916% since 2000, according to Stats NZ. Consumer calls for urgent action to prevent insurance becoming inaccessible for New Zealanders.

The consumer watchdog is calling on central government to take the lead and work with local government and insurers on a national solution to ensure insurance remains available and affordable. Consumer wants to see the development of a climate adaptation framework, increased oversight of the insurance industry and increased consumer protections.

“Insurance is getting harder to access and the need for it will only grow,” says Rebecca Styles, Consumer investigative team leader and author of the report ‘Will you be able to get home Insurance by 2035?’

“If we don’t act now, it’s entirely possible that many New Zealanders won’t be able to get insurance at all by 2035,” says Styles.

A crisis of cost and access

Among those without cover, more have cancelled or not renewed their house insurance because of cost. Up from 7% in 2022 to 17% in 2025.

“Insurance now ranks as one of New Zealanders’ top four financial concerns, behind housing, food and household debt,” says Styles.  

“Our research shows people are dropping cover or being priced out entirely, and this will only get worse without serious intervention.”

The report includes major concerns with how the market is working, noting:  

low trust in insurers, with dissatisfaction in claims handling and poor communication

a lack of transparency in risk-based pricing, leaving homeowners unclear about what they're paying for

limited ability to shop around, especially in high-risk areas where quotes are hard to get

insurers' profits rebounding, with trans-Tasman companies appearing to be charging New Zealanders more than Australians for equivalent cover.

Consumer is calling for action on five fronts

1. An effective government-led national climate adaptation framework

This framework should identify homes at risk and outline mitigation or retreat options. Nearly three-quarters of New Zealanders agree such a plan is urgently needed.

2. Greater oversight of the insurance industry

The FMA should investigate whether risk-based insurance pricing is being applied fairly.

The Commerce Commission should carry out a market study into competition and consumer choice in the house insurance sector.

3. Improved transparency and claims standards

Insurers should clearly show how risk affects pricing and explain policy and price changes when policies are renewed.

There should be set time frames for settling claims, with consequences for unreasonable delays.

4. Stronger consumer tools and innovation

Improve access to online quotes, comparison tools and risk data for homeowners.

Insurers should incentivise resilience, for example, by rewarding homeowners who take steps to reduce flood risks around their homes.

5. A stronger national safety net

The government should ensure the Natural Hazards Commission is future fit to serve communities facing the challenges of climate change.

“If insurance becomes a luxury only available to a privileged few, the impacts on communities, our economy and society will be severe. We need a plan, and we need to start implementing that plan now.”

The Brian Gaynor Initiatives – Business Writing and Journalism Excellence Award made it possible for Consumer’s investigative team leader Rebecca Styles to pursue this topic.

Read the Full Report: https://consumernz.cmail20.com/t/i-l-firudkl-ijjdkdttjk-j/

About Consumer

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

Advocacy – New Zealand challenged to vote for Israel’s suspension in United Nations – PSNA

Source: Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa

 

The Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa is challenging the New Zealand government to support the move by Türkiye to vote to suspend Israeli membership of the United Nations.

 

Türkiye Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has told the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Riyadh that Israel should be suspended from the crucial meeting of the General Assembly next month, for its ‘genocidal aggression.’

 

PSNA Co-chair, John Minto, says New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters will have to take a stand on this issue.

 

“Cabinet should give him clear instructions to vote against Israeli war crimes and support Palestinian rights.”

 

“Suspension of Israel will have a lot of backing from many countries horrified with the starvation and carnage in Gaza, and they want to do something effective, instead of just recognising Palestine as a state.

 

“Even if the US vetoes such a move in the Security Council, there is a precedent going back to 1974 when South Africa was suspended from the General Assembly because it practiced apartheid.  The General Assembly suspended a member then, and New Zealand should back such a move now.”

 

Minto says Israel’s original condition in 1948 for joining the UN was that it allowed the 750,000 Palestinians it had expelled from Palestine to create Israel to return home.

 

“Israel won’t even talk about its obligations to let Palestinians return, and certainly never had any intention of allowing them to go home.  Israel should pay a price for that, along with punishment for its genocide.”

 

Minto says the escalation of the Israeli assault on Gaza calls for immediate international action and not even wait until the General Assembly debate last next month.

 

“The Israeli ambassador in Wellington should be told to leave right now, because his government is openly committing war crimes.”

 

“We’ve just seen a famine declared in Gaza City.  Aid is totally insufficient and deliberately so.”

 

“Israel has called up its military reservists for the major assault it’s conducting on Gaza City to drive nearly a million of its inhabitants out.  Israel’s latest dumping ground of choice is South Sudan, even though its government says it doesn’t want to have expelled Palestinians turn up there.”

 

“And we’ve just had the news that Israel has once again killed journalists, who work for international news agencies, such as Reuters, Al Jazeera and NBC.”

 

“Netanyahu says it was a mistake.  Who believes that?”

 

John Minto

Co-Chair PSNA

Posted on

Indonesia: Caning of gay men an act of cruelty – Amnesty International

Source: Amnesty International

Responding to today’s caning of two men in the city of Banda Aceh for having consensual same-sex sexual relations, Amnesty International’s Regional Research Director Montse Ferrer said:

“This public flogging of two young men under Aceh’s Islamic Criminal Code for consensual sex is a disturbing act of state-sanctioned discrimination and cruelty. This punishment is a horrifying reminder of the institutionalized stigma and abuse faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in Aceh.  

“Intimate relationships between consenting adults should never be criminalized. Punishments such as flogging are cruel, inhuman and degrading and may amount to torture under international law.

“We call on the Acehnese and Indonesian central government authorities to immediately halt these degrading practices and repeal all discriminatory bylaws that permit such violations. Aceh’s regional autonomy must not come at the expense of human rights.

“Indonesia, as a member of the UN Human Rights Council and a state party to the Convention Against Torture, must align its laws – including in Aceh – with its constitutional commitments to equality and non-discrimination. The criminalization of same-sex conduct and corporal punishment has no place in a just and humane society.”

Background

On 26 August, two men, aged 20 and 21, were publicly flogged 76 times each in the city of Banda Aceh for having consensual same-sex relations.  

The panel of judges at the Banda Aceh Sharia Court earlier found them guilty of violating the Islamic Criminal Code, which forbids consensual same-sex acts.

They were arrested after allegedly engaging in sexual activity in a public restroom at the Taman Sari Park on 16 June.

The defendants, identified as QH and RA, remained in custody during the judicial proceedings, which were held behind closed doors.

Citizen’s arrests are common in Aceh due to the implementation of Sharia law, which allows residents to turn people over to the Sharia police for investigation. Aceh is the only province in Indonesia that criminalizes consensual same-sex acts due to the special autonomy status that has allowed it to apply the Islamic Criminal Code since 2015.

Sharia bylaws have been in force in Aceh since the enactment of the province’s Special Autonomy Law in 2001 and are enforced by Islamic courts.

These laws in some cases provide for up to 200 lashes as punishment for offences including consensual intimacy or sexual activity for unmarried couples, consensual sex outside marriage, same-sex sexual relations, the consumption and sale of alcohol and gambling.

In February, two university students were flogged for having consensual same-sex relations in Banda Aceh.

Under international human rights law all forms of corporal punishment are prohibited as they constitute cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment and can amount to torture. The UN Human Rights Committee and other expert human rights bodies have raised concerns about laws criminalising ‘adultery’ or other consensual sexual relations outside marriage because they violate the right to privacy.

Posted on

Education Events – Keynote speakers announced for 30th ICDE World Conference 2025 in Wellington this November

Source: Open Polytechnic

An exciting lineup of distinguished keynote speakers will share their insights and expertise at the upcoming International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) conference, including leaders of the world’s largest universities, a renowned Māori academic, an international AI expert, and a programme specialist leading transformative education.
Te Kuratini Tuwhera o Aotearoa Open Polytechnic of New Zealand and Te Kunenga Ki Pūrehuroa Massey University will co-host the conference in Wellington at the Tākina Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre, from 10 to 13 November, at which hundreds of international and domestic delegates are expected.
Open Polytechnic Executive Director of Learning Design and Development, and current ICDE President Dr Mark Nichols, says each keynote will bring a unique perspective to the conference and exciting conference program. They include: 
– Dr Paul J. LeBlanc, Leader of Matter and Space, an AI and Education startup and previous President of Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), an online mega-university. Dr LeBlanc is recognised as one of USA’s most innovative educators. Under his 20-year leadership as former President of SNHU, the university grew from 2,800 to over 250,000 students to become the largest non-profit online higher education provider in the USA. 
– Professor Puleng LenkaBula, Vice Chancellor of the University of South Africa (UNISA). Professor LenkaBula has won multiple international and national teaching awards and now leads South Africa’s largest university by enrolment (370,000 students per year). 
– Professor Danny Liu, Professor of Educational Technologies in the DVC Education Portfolio at the University of Sydney. Professor Liu is known internationally for his work on Generative Artificial Intelligence in higher education, and is the developer of Cogniti, an AI application widely used by students. 
– Professor Linda Tuhiwai Smith (Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Porou, Tūhourangi), is a Professor at Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi, and CEO of Ngā Āhuatanga O Te Kai Ltd, The Kai Research Institute. Professor Smith is an internationally renowned and highly awarded researcher, scholar and writer known for her work on Decolonising Methodologies, Kaupapa Māori and Mana Wahine and Māori Education.
– Dr Faryal Khan, Programme Specialist leading Transformative Education at the UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok and the Office for UN Coordination for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCO Bangkok). Dr Khan brings an international perspective on education reform. 
Open Polytechnic, New Zealand’s specialist provider of online and distance learning is a long-standing institutional member of ICDE. The last time an ICDE conference was held in New Zealand was in 1950.
Dr Nichols, says, “ICDE’s roots go back to 1938, and it has been generously hosted by the Norwegian government since 1988. It has members from over 90 countries, including the world’s largest open and distance learning institutions – some with millions of enrolments each year.”
“ICDE is committed to advancing inclusive, scalable, and sustainable education and it is a pleasure to be able to bring members from this global movement to Wellington in November.”
“Our focus t

Posted on

Auckland News – Rail crossing upgrades must accommodate freight growth

Source: Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand

Road freight industry group Transporting New Zealand has welcomed construction work getting underway this week to replace Auckland level crossings with overbridges , but says ensuring adequate freight routes in Takanini may require further investment.
The Takanini and Glen Innes projects will see eight level crossings removed and replaced by three new grade-separated road bridges and three new pedestrian access bridges. Two crossings in Takanini – Spartan Road and Manuroa Road – will be closed completely.
Transporting New Zealand Chief Executive Dom Kalasih says that the upgrades will help prepare the transport network for the City Rail Link and future increases in rail services.
“From 2030 onwards the increased frequency of train services could mean barrier arms at level crossings on the Southern Line are lowered every 2-3 minutes. That would have been a nightmare for commuters and freight customers trying to move goods out of the key Takanini industrial area. Overbridge replacements are the right outcome.”
Kalasih welcomed the Government and Auckland Council jointly funding the first three years of construction, noting that it’s been three years since Transporting New Zealand submitted on the Takanini level crossing closure plans.
Kalasih says that replacing eight level crossings with three road bridges will take some adjustment and is encouraging Auckland Council to ensure the city’s booming freight task is being accounted for in its planning.
“Takanini is projected to grow by 5,900 dwellings, 12,300 jobs and 13,900 people between 2018 to 2048. Auckland’s freight task (measured by kilometres travelled) is projected to grow around 80% over the same time period.
“This demonstrates the need for additional freight routes, not fewer, to future-proof the network,” Kalasih says.
“Transporting New Zealand has made a request to Auckland Transport for any freight impact and congestion analysis undertaken since the 2023 Takanini level crossing closure detailed business case, and I look forward to reviewing the data.”
Kalasih is also encouraging AT to communicate with affected businesses during the construction period.
“This is an important industrial area supporting a huge number of jobs. Transporting New Zealand is always happy to assist with sharing communications and facilitating project updates to local businesses, as we did during the initial level crossing closure consultation.”
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.
Posted on

Commerce – Meet the Buyer™ exhibitor trade floor sold out

Source: Meet the Buyer

Exhibitor space at the fifth Buy West Eat Best annual trade show, Meet the Buyer™ held on 21 October at Crown Perth is officially sold out.

Hosted by the State Government’s Buy West Eat Best program, Meet the Buyer™ is Western Australia’s only dedicated food and beverage industry trade show exhibition and networking forum.

This year is billed the largest to date with a sold-out trade floor. It will showcase more than 500 products, ingredients, businesses and brands from across the State, with every region represented.

Melissa Worthington, program manager of Buy West Eat Best at Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, said Meet the Buyer™ is an important platform for WA producers and suppliers.

“The local producers who have secured an exhibition space this year will have the floor to promote their business and produce, connect with buyers and distributors, with a view to securing commercial outcomes across domestic and international markets, all under one roof and all in one day,” Ms Worthington said.

“The rapid growth in reputation of Meet the Buyer as WA’s only dedicated food and beverage exhibition trade show and premier networking event attracts delegates from around the state, across the country and from overseas.”

Delegates include major supermarket retailers, independent gourmet grocers, chefs, restauranteurs, hospitality groups, sommeliers, importers as well as media and educators.

“The relaxed and collaborative atmosphere of the tradeshow is deliberate, to meet the expectations of trade and industry delegates, foster meaningful conversations and, as we have determined in previous years, often leads to unexpected partnerships,” Ms Worthington said.

“For delegates, it’s a day of opportunity, finding new suppliers and new ingredients to showcase on a menu or on in stores, but importantly, a chance to actually meet the people behind the business.

“As a facilitator of Meet the Buyer, it’s extremely rewarding to watch Western Australian businesses go from strength to strength, make meaningful business connections, innovate through collaboration and potentially expand their supply range or scale their business, leading to greater growth and employment across the state within the sector.

“Over the past four years, we’ve seen many success stories as a result of business done at Meet the Buyer – it’s where business connections are made and opportunities grow.”

Independent feedback of previous Meet the Buyer™ events shows strong commercial outcomes for WA businesses with 67 percent of participants reporting they connected with new buyers or business contacts previously inaccessible, 54 percent secured commercial value through partnerships, new market access or business growth, and 83 percent discovered new products, brands or businesses.

The WA food and beverage sector, valued at $9.6 billion, is a significant contributor to the State’s economy supporting 1,555 businesses and 20,000 jobs.

Combined with the food service sector, the broader industry supports over 100,000 jobs across 8,000 businesses, generating approximately $17.6 billion in annual turnover.

Buy West Eat Best is a voluntary food labelling and marketing initiative developed by the Western Australian Government to assist local food and beverage producers to promote their products to consumers whether they be grocery shoppers or those that dine out.

For more information about Meet the Buyer™, visit meetthebuyer.com.au.

NOTES

YouTube highlights: https://youtu.be/m5YmaaxQ00c

About Buy West Eat Best

The Buy West Eat Best program is a voluntary food and beverage labelling and marketing initiative developed by the Western Australian Government to assist local producers to promote their products to grocery shoppers and those that dine out.

Buy West Eat Best works with members to support and promote the buy local message, highlight the importance of seasonality and champion delicious, fresh ranges of fruits and vegetables that grocery shoppers can seek out, particularly as new seasons commence.

The program works across the supply chain, from producers, processors, retail, and foodservice businesses; providing a critical conduit to strengthen the resilience and sustainability of businesses and identify source of origin for consumers. There is a vast and diverse range of local businesses and brands that are members of the Buy West Eat Best community.

When you see the distinctive Buy West Eat Best bite mark logo you can be assured that you are choosing food and beverage that has been grown, farmed, fished, processed, prepared and served right here in WA.

The program has matured, and it is vitally important to the State from an economic and employment perspective – the food and drink industry or agrifood sector is the second largest export sector to mining and resources and critical to the diversification and sustainability of local communities across the State.

The Buy West Eat Best logo is a registered trademark owned by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), administered by government and championed by business and supported by industry.

www.buywesteatbest.org.au

Posted on

Advocacy – Run for Hope: One Man. 617km. One Powerful Mission

Source: I Am Hope

Christchurch endurance athlete to run 617km in honour of every life lost to suicide last year

I Am Hope is proud to stand behind 26-year-old endurance athlete and landscaper Morgan Bartram, who this September will take on an extraordinary challenge to raise awareness and funds for youth mental health in Aotearoa.

Starting 1 September 2025, Morgan will run 617km around Hagley Park South in Christchurch — one kilometre for every New Zealander lost to suicide last year. Over the course of seven days, he’ll cover 100km a day for six days, with the final 17km to be completed on 7 September, coinciding with World Suicide Prevention Day.

It’s more than a run. It’s a call to action.

Morgan is urging Kiwis across the country to take part in the “What's Your Six Seventeen?” challenge — a seven-day movement inviting individuals, teams, and communities to do something bold, meaningful, and just beyond their comfort zone in honour of those we've lost, and for the ones still fighting.

All funds raised will go directly to I Am Hope , delivering free counselling for young people through its Gumboot Friday programme and advocating for real, grassroots change in the mental health space.

“What Morgan’s doing is unreal,” says I Am Hope founder Mike King. “Most people can’t imagine running 6km, let alone 617. But he’s out there, in the cold, the rain, pushing through day after day — all to remind young people they matter. He’s truly special, and we’re so grateful to have him in our corner. If you can support him, do it. Every step he takes is for someone else.”

For Morgan, this mission is deeply personal. And he’s putting in the hard mahi to make it happen.

“I’ve always been fascinated by what we’re capable of — but this is about more than the distance,” says Morgan. “It’s about pushing through pain, showing up every day, and doing something that matters. I want to challenge others to do the same. You don’t have to run 617km — just take one step. Ask for help. Check in on someone. Be part of this.”

Morgan has been training relentlessly — clocking long runs in cold, wet, unforgiving conditions to prepare his body and mind for what lies ahead.

Morgan video: https://bit.ly/4fSCZdN

You can follow his journey on Instagram at @morgybartrum
Morgan’s Givealittle page: https://bit.ly/465NrLN

Event Details:

  • Hagley Park South, Christchurch 
  • 1–7 September 2025
  • Goal: 617km in 7 days | 1km for each life lost

Join the movement:

  • Run alongside Morgan
  • Start your own “617” challenge
  • Text HOPE to 469 for $3 donation

Let’s turn pain into purpose — together.

Posted on

Northland News – Public help sought to find ‘Mickey Mouse’ plant in gardens

Source: Northland Regional Council

Biosecurity experts are asking for the public’s help to identify the locations of an invasive plant hiding in gardens around Kerikeri, Opua and Mangonui and in other Far North areas.
Mickey Mouse plant (Ochna serrulata) is an issue because it can form dense monocultures that prevent regeneration of native species, and it grows and reproduces prolifically in Northland’s mild climate.
Joanna Barr, Northland Regional Council’s Biosecurity Manager – Pest Plants, says Mickey Mouse plant was originally introduced and shared as a garden plant in New Zealand.
It is currently primarily found in urban gardens and unmanaged/disturbed areas, but it is spreading. “Its berries are inedible to humans but are very attractive to birds which spread the plants a considerable distance.”
She says now is a good time for people to be on the lookout for it as it comes into flower in spring and then starts to set its unusual looking fruit in November/December.
It has yellow buttercup-like flowers that are followed by distinctive red and black fruiting bodies.
These fruiting bodies are what give the plant its name because they resemble the face of Mickey Mouse, with black berry-like fruits perched on a red base. These are surrounded by what look like red petals.
Ms Barr says council’s Biosecurity team would like assistance from Far North residents in identifying possible locations of the plant, especially in the Kerikeri, Opua and Mangonui areas.
“These observations will help us determine the distribution of Mickey Mouse plant and help us in our battle to control this plant’s spread.”
Mickey Mouse plant is a shade tolerant shrub that is usually 1-2m tall. It has elongated oval leaves that are 13-50mm long and have finely-toothed margins. It has pimply-textured bark.
Ms Barr says anyone who thinks they have seen a Mickey Mouse plant should contact the Northland Regional Council’s biosecurity team on (0800) 002 004.
“We will have a Biosecurity Officer come out and check the site and if Mickey Mouse plants are found, will undertake control at no cost to the landowner.”
Mickey Mouse plant has a deep tap root which makes it almost impossible to remove manually, and it will often re-sprout if not controlled correctly.
“Please do not try and pull them out yourself or mulch them because this could spread the seeds.”
Ms Barr says one good feature about the plant is that it does not have long lived seed, which is a big advantage in eradicating it from a site.