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Australia-New Zealand – New Zealand firefighters deploy to Victoria

Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand

Fire and Emergency New Zealand has sent 22 firefighters to Victoria today, following a formal request from Emergency Management Victoria.
The contingent consists of 20 firefighters experienced in arduous conditions, and two liaison officers.
One of the crews is from the Department of Conservation, one is from the forestry industry and the other two crews comprise volunteer firefighters from Fire and Emergency brigades around the country.
They departed this morning and will return to New Zealand on 2 February.
Victoria is experiencing extreme weather conditions with multiple bushfires, which have already caused loss of life and extensive damage to homes, property and the environment.
Assistant National Commander Ken Cooper says the firefighters who have been selected for this deployment are all experienced at working on complex wildfires in difficult terrain and hot temperatures. Their taskings will be confirmed when they reach Melbourne, but they are equipped and ready to stay at a fire camp in a remote location.
Fire and Emergency has international agreements to provide mutual assistance, and regularly deploys personnel overseas to Australia, Pacific Islands and North America.
“We assess each request to ensure that we have the capacity to send appropriate personnel without compromising our ability to maintain full capability to respond to incidents at home,” Ken Cooper says.
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Billionaire wealth jumps three times faster in 2025 to highest peak ever, sparking dangerous political inequality says Oxfam

Source: Oxfam Aotearoa

Billionaires 4,000 times more likely to hold political office than ordinary people
Billionaire wealth jumped by over 16 per cent in 2025, three times faster than the past five-year average, to $18.3 trillion – its highest level in history, according to a new Oxfam report today as the World Economic Forum opens in Davos.
Billionaire wealth has increased by 81 per cent since 2020. This comes as one in four people don’t regularly have enough to eat and nearly half the world’s population live in poverty.
The report “Resisting the Rule of the Rich: Defending Freedom Against Billionaire Power” analyses how the super-rich are securing political power to shape the rules of our economies and societies for their own gain and to the detriment of the rights and freedoms of people around the world.
The surge in billionaire wealth coincides with the US Trump administration pursuing a pro-billionaire agenda. It has slashed taxes for the super-rich, undermined global efforts to tax large corporations, reversed attempts to address monopoly power and contributed to the growth of AI-related stocks that have provided a boon to super-rich investors world-wide.
His presidency has sent a clear warning sign to the rest of the world about the power of the ultra-rich. Rather than solely a US phenomenon Oxfam’s paper demonstrates that rising oligarchy is undermining societies worldwide. Oxfam’s report finds:
  • The collective wealth of billionaires last year surged by $2.5 trillion, almost equivalent to the total wealth held by the bottom half of humanity – 4.1 billion people.
  • The number of billionaires topped 3,000 last year for the first time, while the richest, Elon Musk, became the first ever to surpass half a trillion dollars.
  • Billionaires are 4,000 times more likely to hold political office than ordinary people.
  • The $2.5 trillion rise in billionaires’ wealth would be enough to eradicate extreme poverty 26 times over.
New Zealand has four people with over a billion US dollars of wealth. These four billionaires together own more wealth than a third of New Zealanders, over 1.8 million people combined. At the same time, more than 900,000 people in Aotearoa suffer from food insecurity, over 17% of the population.
“It’s obscene to see such a massive accumulation of wealth by so few individuals, while nearly a million people in Aotearoa can’t afford enough to eat” said Nick Henry, Oxfam Aotearoa’s Advocacy and Policy Lead.
“No-one should be going hungry in a society that produces so much wealth. We need our political leaders to stand up to the billionaires and multi-millionaires and say we’re going to tax this extreme wealth so that every Kiwi family can have a decent quality of life.”
“The widening gap between the rich and the rest is at the same time creating a political deficit that is highly dangerous and unsustainable.” said Oxfam Executive Director Amitabh Behar.
Oxfam estimates that billionaires are 4,000 times more likely to hold political office than ordinary citizens. A World Values Survey of 66 countries found that almost half of all people polled say that the rich often buy elections in their country.
“Governments are making wrong choices to pander to the elite and defend wealth while repressing people’s rights and anger at how so many of their lives are becoming unaffordable and unbearable,” Behar said.
Billions of people are being left facing avoidable hardships of poverty, hunger and death from preventable diseases because the system is rigged against them. Worldwide one in four people face food insecurity, having to regularly skip meals.
The rate of poverty reduction has stagnated with levels broadly where they were in 2019. Extreme poverty is rising again in Africa. Political decisions made by governments across the world last year to slash aid budgets have directly hit people living in poverty and could lead to more than 14 million additional deaths by 2030.
Civil liberties and political rights are being rolled back and suppressed; 2024 was the nineteenth successive year of decline with a quarter of all countries curtailing freedoms of expression. Last year there were more than 142 significant anti-government protests across 68 countries which authorities typically met with violence.
“Being economically poor creates hunger. Being politically poor creates anger.” said Behar.
The chances of democratic backsliding through, for example, the erosion of the rule of law or the undermining of elections is seven times more likely in highly unequal countries. “No country can afford to be complacent. The pace that economic and political inequality can hasten the erosion of people’s rights and safety can be frighteningly fast,” he said.
Governments are allowing the super-rich to dominate media and social media companies. Billionaires own more than half the world’s largest media companies and all the main social media companies.
The report cites Jeff Bezos’ purchase of the Washington Post, Elon Musk with Twitter/X, Patrick Soon-Shiong with the Los Angeles Times and a billionaire consortium buying large shares of The Economist. In France, far-right billionaire Vincent Bolloré now controls CNews, rebranding it as the French equivalent of Fox News. In the UK, three-quarters of newspaper circulation is controlled by four super-rich families.
The report cites evidence that only 27% of top editors globally are female and just 23% belong to racialized groups respectively. This has seen their voices marginalized, while minorities like immigrants and people of colour are often stigmatized and scapegoated and critics silenced.
Authorities in Kenya have used X to track, punish and even abduct and torture government critics. A study by the University of California meanwhile found that in the months following Elon Musk’s acquisition of X the rates of hate speech increased by about 500 per cent.
“Our societies feel more toxic today because they demonstrably are, but not always for the reasons we’re being told. The outsized influence that the super-rich have over our politicians, economies and media has deepened inequality and led us far off track on tackling poverty. Governments should be listening to the needs of the people on things like quality healthcare, action on climate change and tax fairness,” Behar said.
Oxfam is calling on governments to prioritise:
  • Realistic and time-bound National Inequality Reduction Plans, with well-established benchmarks and regular monitoring of progress.
  • Effectively taxing the super-rich to reduce their power, including with broad-base taxes on income and wealth at high enough rates to reduce massive levels of inequality.
  • Stronger firewalls between wealth and politics including by tougher regulations against lobbying and campaign financing by the rich, ensuring more media independence, and banning hate speech.
  • Accountability for the political empowerment of ordinary citizens, including stronger protection for people’s freedoms of association, assembly and expression and for civil society organisations and trade unions.
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Energy Initiatives – Politicians go head-to-head on New Zealand’s energy future at Electrify Queenstown 2026

Source: DESTINATION QUEENSTOWN & LAKE WĀNAKA TOURISM

Queenstown, New Zealand (19 January 2026) Award-winning summit Electrify Queenstown will return in May 2026 with a power-packed programme combining political debate, high-profile speakers, immersive electric experiences and practical advice for businesses and households ready to electrify.

Delivered by Destination Queenstown, with principal sponsor Aurora Energy, Electrify Queenstown 2026 will be held across three days at the Queenstown Events Centre, from Sunday 17 May to Tuesday 19 May 2026.

The centrepiece will be The Future of New Zealand's Energy System: Political Debate, bringing together representatives from National, Labour, the Green Party, and The Opportunity Party for a rare on-stage energy discussion, moderated by leading journalist Paddy Gower.

Electrify Queenstown 2026 also features a strong line-up of national and international speakers shaping the future of electrification, energy and transport, along with panel discussions on everything from electrification myth-busting to finance.

Beyond the stage, the summit is known for its immersive, real-world electric experiences and demonstrations. Attendees will be able to visit smart homes and businesses, get hands-on with the latest e-bikes, e-boats, e-vehicles, solar panels, batteries, heat pumps, and household tech, and also receive practical, direct advice in the How-to-Hub, hosted by Queenstown Electrification Accelerator.

Earlybird tickets are on sale now.

Mat Woods, Chief Executive of Destination Queenstown & Lake Wānaka Tourism, says Electrify Queenstown continues to evolve as electrification gathers pace.

“Across the country we're seeing electrification move from early adoption to the mainstream, and this summit captures that moment – bringing together political leaders, global thinkers and real-world examples to show what's possible, what's next, and how communities and businesses can be part of the transition.

“And with the General Election this October, Electrify Queenstown 2026 will provide an opportunity to hear directly from politicians about how they plan to power New Zealand's future.”

Speakers and panellists include renewable electricity advocate, entrepreneur and inventor Dr Saul Griffith, Rewiring Aotearoa's Mike Casey, and Queenstown-based Xero founder Sir Rod Drury, all returning for a second year, along with Aotearoa environmentalist and entrepreneur Izzy Fenwick.

Queenstown Lakes District Mayor John Glover says: “Electrification is vital for the future of the district and as a business owner, I've seen firsthand how smart energy choices can strengthen resilience and reduce long-term costs.

“Electrify Queenstown is valuable because it shows what's already working, locally. It gives people practical confidence that these solutions are achievable, scalable and relevant to our community.”

Electrify Queenstown 2026 is proudly supported by principal sponsor Aurora Energy, along with supporting sponsors Air New Zealand, Westpac, Queenstown Lakes District Council, TomTom Productions, and Queenstown Catering.

Richard Fletcher, Chief Executive of Aurora Energy, says the company is pleased to be principal sponsor for the third consecutive year.

“This event continues to play a vital role in helping businesses and households understand the benefits of electrification, from cost savings and efficiency gains to reducing emissions and building resilience.

“As the owner of the main electricity distribution network in Queenstown, our role is to ensure the network is safe, reliable, and ready to meet growing demand. We are investing in our network across the Wakatipu area, and have a number of projects underway to support growth and enable future energy choices. As demand for electricity continues to rise, we remain committed to ensuring our network is ready.”

For the first time, Electrify Queenstown 2026 will introduce ticketing, including early-bird pricing, to ensure the event remains financially sustainable into the future.

“It allows us to keep bringing in world-class speakers, immersive experiences and practical content, while building a platform that's sustainable for the long term,” Woods says.

Tickets are now on sale for Electrify Queenstown 2026, with options to attend individual days, events, or the full three-day programme.

Day 1 – Sunday 17 May: Electric Experiences

Community and business-focused electric tours, demonstrations and exhibitions showcasing electrification in action

Day 2 – Monday 18 May: Business Innovation, Investment & Policy

Keynote speakers, political debate, and finance and investment panels, aimed at business leaders, boards,decision-makers and the community

Day 3 – Tuesday 19 May: How to Electrify

Practical, hands-on sessions for business owners, operators and teams focused on implementation, cost savings and real-world solutions

For more information, visit www.electrifyqueenstown.co.nz
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Weather News – Relentless Heavy Rain and Strong Winds – MetService

Source: MetService

Covering period of Monday 19th – Friday 23rd January

  • Yellow Heavy Rain Watch for Northland 
  • Yellow Heavy Rain Watches for Auckland (north of the Harbour Bridge), Great Barrier Island and the Coromandel Peninsula 
  • A Low with tropical origins likely to impact New Zealand’s weather from Wednesday.

Significant severe weather continues this week with heavy rain and strong winds for the North Island.  

Northland is under an active Yellow Heavy Rain Watch until midday on Tuesday the 20th of January as showers continue. Additionally, severe thunderstorms with localised downpours of 25-40 mm/h possible for Northland this evening (Monday) through until early Tuesday morning. Yellow Heavy Rain Watches have also been issued for Auckland (north of the Harbour Bridge), Great Barrier Island and the Coromandel Peninsula for Tuesday.

Why so much rain for Northland? MetService Meteorologist Devlin Lynden says, “A persistent moisture-laden easterly flow has been drawn down from the tropics. As the moisture is pushed onto the coastal ranges, it is forced upward, this cools the air down and allows that moisture to condense and fall out as rain… and a lot of it.”  

On Tuesday, heavy rain is expected to affect parts of Northland, particularly the northern and eastern coasts. Heavy rain is also possible about Gisborne/Tairāwhiti and northern Hawke's Bay. As well as strong easterlies expected in the north of the North Island.

On Wednesday, a low of tropical origin moving southeast, is expected to approach the North Island, bringing heavy rain and strong east to northeast winds. For Northland, Auckland and Coromandel Peninsula there is a chance that northeast winds will reach severe gale in exposed places. 

On Thursday, the path and strength of the low originating from the tropics is very uncertain. It is likely that it will pass over or close to the North Island and may extend a trough onto the South Island. Heavy rain and strong winds are possible in many northern and central parts of the country.  

On Friday, although there remains much uncertainty, the low should move off to the east of mainland New Zealand.  

MetService meteorologist Alanna Burrows says, “With more heavy rain expected for Northland, who have already experienced significant flooding this past weekend, please prepare and check in on your neighbours. Keep up to date with Civil Defence Northland too.”  

Find our latest warnings at www.metservice.com/warnings and our Severe Weather Outlook at www.metservice.com/warnings/severe-weather-outlook.

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Property Market – Does property double in a decade? Not in the last cycle, new data from realestate.co.nz shows

Source: RealEstate.co.nz

  • National average asking price increased by 55.1% in past 10 years
  • Auckland’s average asking price increases only 23.5%
  • The regions take the cake for delivering the biggest returns with seven doubling in price since 2015
  • Gisborne reports 145% increase from $284,134 in 2015 to $697,527 in 2025.

Lore tells us that property prices double every 10 years, but the latest data from realestate.co.nz shows this wasn’t the case nationally in the last decade. Between 2015 and 2025 New Zealand's national average asking price only increased by 55.1%, from $556,931 to $863,747.

While the highly sought-after doubling in value milestone may not have occurred nationally, seven of New Zealand’s 19 regions did achieve the coveted accolade.

Gisborne topped the chart with a 145.5% increase in its asking price from $284,134 in 2015 to $697,527 in 2025. Manawatu/Whanganui followed with a 121.5% increase from $274,032 in 2015 to $606,985 in 2025 and Central North Island recorded the third highest increase of 119.2% from $348,659 in 2015 to $764,316 in 2025.

Of the major centres, Auckland delivered the least value increase in the last decade with a 23.5% increase from $846,730 in 2015 to $1,045,328 in 2025. Waikato was the standout performer with a 95.9% increase in average asking price over the decade, from $405,770 in 2015 to $795,097 in 2025.

Vanessa Williams, spokesperson for realestate.co.nz, says while it may be true for some, the last decade has debunked the notion as a general rule. “The idea that property always doubles in value every 10 years is a simplification that doesn’t reflect how the market really works,” says Williams. “Property moves in cycles – we have peaks, plateaus, and periods of correction, so doubling in value isn’t a guarantee and it will always depend on individual properties and locations as well.”

“Over the past decade, we’ve seen significant regional variation and, in many areas, growth has fallen well short of that aspirational ‘doubling in value’ benchmark. While prices generally rise over time, growth is rarely linear and depends heavily on when in the cycle you buy and sell.”

Which regions fetched returns for homeowners?

Southland (111.3%), Hawke’s Bay (105.0%), Wairarapa (100.7%) and Coromandel (100.1%) were the four remaining regions that more than doubled their average asking price during the past decade.

Williams says despite an ever-changing landscape, the value of property continues to increase over the long term.

“Over the past 10 years, we’ve seen the New Zealand property market navigate some of the most dramatic economic shifts in recent history, from a pandemic-fuelled boom to a sharp market reset. In the same period, we’ve seen significant regulatory change, with the introduction of loan-to-value (LVR) restrictions, the bright-line test, and more recently, debt-to-income (DTI) ratios.

Through it all, property has remained a national conversation and a first-choice of investment for many Kiwis.”

The good news? Hold on for another five years and your price may double

There’s better news for homeowners who bought 15 years ago – the national average asking price has come close to doubling over this period, increasing by 91.9% since 2010, from $450,014 to $863,747 in 2025.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Central Otago/Lakes District recorded the greatest in average asking price over the 15-year period with prices rising 125.1% from $660,246 to $1,485,995.

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

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

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

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

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

Want more property insights?

Market insights: Search by suburb to see median sale prices, popular property types and trends over time.

 Glossary of terms:  

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

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

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Employment Disputes – Strike period incident details – NZPFU again declines request to agree community safety process

Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand

Fire and Emergency New Zealand received calls for 11 incidents between 12pm and 1pm today, Friday 16 January, the nineth time the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU) has taken strike action.
Of these,10 incidents were in areas impacted by the strike, six of which were fire alarms that did not result in a fire.
The remaining incidents related to a motor vehicle crash involving a quad bike, a call to report a dog locked in a car, and a car fire which turned out to be a false alarm, all of which we responded to.
One further incident was a medical emergency which we did not attend during the strike hour. Hato Hone St John responded as per our contingency plan for this industrial action.
Deputy National Commander Megan Stiffler thanked New Zealanders for their extra care during the strike hour.
“I want to thank our 11,800 volunteers across the country, and their employers for supporting them to respond over today’s strike hour,” she says.
“I would also like to thank our Operational Commanders and Communication Centre Managers, who contributed to the response.”
Megan Stiffler says following the fire in Pakuranga last week, Fire and Emergency has again reached out to NZPFU officials to ask them to agree on a process for responding to emergency events.
“Our aim was to put arrangements in place to mitigate the risk to public safety during strikes, while preserving NZPFU members’ right to take industrial action,” Megan Stiffler says.
“This would cover potential loss of life, when fires are likely to spread, and the need for specialist equipment.
“A range of other organisations in New Zealand have specific requirements to mitigate risk to public safety when taking strike action and given the nature of the work we do I believe we have an obligation to work together to develop arrangements during industrial action. 
“Unfortunately, our request was rebuffed by the NZPFU. That is hugely disappointing and puts our communities in harm’s way.”
The NZPFU again plans to strike for an hour at midday on Friday 23 January and Friday 30 January.
“We have consistently called on NZPFU officials to call off these strikes while we’re actively engaged in independent facilitation to progress collective agreement negotiations. There is no point in putting public safety at risk when that process is ongoing,” Megan Stiffler says.
Fire and Emergency’s next scheduled facilitation with the NZPFU is on Monday 26 and Tuesday 27 January.
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CPAG concerned over changes in how child poverty is measured

Source: Child Poverty Action Group

Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) is concerned about today’s announcement from Stats NZ detailing significant changes to how material hardship will be measured in the Household Income and Living Survey, changes that could affect how child poverty is officially understood and reported in Aotearoa.
What has changed
Stats NZ confirmed that the current DEP-17 index will be replaced with a new MH-18 index.
While DEP-17 asks 17 questions and defines material hardship at a score of six or more, the MH-18 index will ask 18 questions with a new threshold of seven or more.
The new index introduces questions about digital inclusion and bedding quality, which CPAG considers important additions. However, it removes an item relating to visiting local places (such as shops), a change that may reduce understanding of in-person social participation.
“These timely updates reflect the changing reality of our society, but it is concerning that social participation in-person has withdrawn, especially without clear reasons for the new Material Hardship Questionnaire being capped at 18 questions,” says CPAG Research and Programme Officer Dr Yu (Harry) Shi.
Concerns about children's voices
Dr Shi also says the updated methodology offers little clarity on how children were considered in the redesign.
During an embargoed briefing on Friday, Stats NZ officials confirmed that material hardship will be assessed through the Household Spending Module, answered by a “nominated ‘best’ person”, typically the bill-payer, rather than young people themselves.
This means that while individual spending modules will be completed by all household members aged 15 and over, those responses will not directly inform headline material hardship rates.
CPAG is concerned this approach risks overlooking variation in children’s experiences within households, with more detailed insights only available to researchers through the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI).
“While asking each person of the age 15 or older to report on their personal spending behaviour, the collation of all individiual responses under a single data point does not reflect the weight of young people’s experience of material hardship, nor does the design align with its lead, the Child Poverty Reduction Act,” says Dr Shi.
“The onus of proof should not be on interested researchers to dive into IDI to isolate young people’s experience of material hardship.”
Impact of Census cancellation? 
CPAG is particularly concerned that some aspects of the redesign may be linked to the scrapping of the Census, a move CPAG has previously raised concerns about .
“The re-design of how we measure material hardship seems prompted by the scrapping of the Census rather than responding to callings of on-the-ground realities from affected communities. The methodology update should signal a concern for democratic input of how and what data is being collected in Aotearoa to measure child poverty.”
Importance of good child poverty data
Measuring material hardship tells us how many children are missing out on essentials such as food, clothing, heating or stable housing. Under the Child Poverty Reduction Act, this data is used to track whether life is improving for our most vulnerable tamariki.
Good data is also a key accountability tool: it allows the public to see whether governments are meeting the targets they have set for reducing child poverty, including the goal of halving it by 2028.
The latest figures from Stats NZ (year ended June 2024) show more than 156,000 children living in material hardship, about 13.4% of all children. This is slightly higher than in 2018 (13.3%), when the Act was introduced, despite improvements recorded over the years in between.
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Marine Environment – Historic Global Ocean Treaty enters into force – Greenpeace

Source: Greenpeace

The Global Ocean Treaty, dubbed one of the most significant pieces of environmental legislation in decades, will officially enter into force this Saturday [January 17], paving the way for global ocean protection on the High Seas.
Less than one percent of international waters, which make up the majority of the world’s oceans, are currently highly protected. The new Treaty will provide the legal tool to make vast high seas sanctuaries around the globe possible, protected areas that will help mitigate the climate crisis, halt biodiversity collapse and safeguard food security for the billions who depend on the ocean.
Greenpeace Aotearoa campaigner Ellie Hooper says: “Today we are celebrating this historic moment, the result of decades of tireless campaigning to protect the high seas which are home to a vast array of ocean life from coral reefs to whales and seabirds.
“But now the essential work of creating protected areas on the high seas must begin. This includes in the Tasman Sea, between Aotearoa and Australia, where New Zealand remains the only country still carrying out destructive bottom trawling – degrading this hugely biodiverse ecosystem and standing in the way of ocean protection.
“We are calling on the New Zealand Government to back the creation of global ocean sanctuaries and stop destructive bottom trawling from where it does the most harm.
“Time and time again we’ve seen how industrial fishing interests seek to water down ocean protection, fighting to keep destroying the ocean ecosystems that we all rely on. To make the most of this historic win the Government must get on with real work of creating protection, not pandering to the fishing industry who prioritise profit over the health of our blue planet.”
The New Zealand public is already onside. Recent polling shows 79% of New Zealanders support the creation of a global ocean sanctuary in the South Pacific Tasman Sea and 78% want bottom trawling banned in this area.
“The time for action is now – NZ must not delay getting behind this historic Treaty that could revolutionise the way the oceans are managed,” says Hooper. New Zealand has not yet ratified the Global Oceans Treaty – also known as the High Seas Treaty- but was an early signer in 2023, signalling the intention to ratify.
The Treaty coming into force marks the beginning of a crucial countdown to protect 30% of the world’s ocean by 2030. Scientists have consistently said protecting a third of the world’s oceans by 2030 is critical to mitigating the dual climate and biodiversity crises.
Increasing High Seas protection from under 1% as it currently stands to 30% in the next four years will require governments to co-operate, be bold, and protect large areas of the ocean high in biodiversity values.
Greenpeace Aotearoa is urging the New Zealand Government to back the creation of a sanctuary in the Tasman Sea, which is earmarked as one of the first places in the world to be protected in a global ocean sanctuary. Seamounts rise from deep and warm and cool currents collide in the Tasman Sea creating a globally significant area that is exceptionally abundant, from ancient corals to migrating whales, rare sharks and high diversity of fish and concentration of seabirds.
“We’ve seen for ourselves the beauty and life that thrives in the Tasman Sea”, says Hooper who led a scientific expedition to explore seamounts in the region last year.
“We also saw the impacts of bottom trawling, observing vast amounts of destroyed coral rubble along known trawl tracks. To protect the ocean for the future, New Zealand must stop bottom trawling and back meaningful ocean protection.”
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Lifestyle – From Resolutions to Real Life: Building Habits That Last Beyond January – Exercise NZ

Source: Exercise NZ

“There's nothing wrong with wanting to make a fresh start in January,”

“But all-or-nothing goals, extreme routines, and relying purely on motivation can set people up to struggle. Real change comes from consistency, support, and doing what's realistic for your life.”

“If your goal improves your quality of life, not just your body, you're far more likely to stick with it,”

As gyms fill and motivation peaks in the first weeks of January, Exercise New Zealand is encouraging Kiwis to rethink how they approach New Year's resolutions, focusing less on short-term motivation and more on sustainable habits that last.

The issue isn't goal-setting itself, but how goals are set.

While New Year's resolutions are popular, many don't stick. An international study cited by Scientific American suggests more than 80% of resolutions are abandoned by February, often because goals are too ambitious, too rigid, or unsupported.

It's encouraging that most resolutions are centred on improving health and wellbeing (79%). However, many people (62%) report feeling external pressure to change rather than being guided by personal readiness or enjoyment. This presents an opportunity: when goals are self-driven, realistic, and supported, they are far more likely to lead to lasting, positive change.

“There's nothing wrong with wanting to make a fresh start in January,” says ExerciseNZ Chief Executive Richard Beddie. “But all-or-nothing goals, extreme routines, and relying purely on motivation can set people up to struggle. Real change comes from consistency, support, and doing what's realistic for your life.”

Motivation fades, habits last

Motivation is powerful at the start of the year, but it's often temporary. When life gets busy, stress increases, or results don't come quickly, motivation can drop, and so can resolutions.

That's why focusing on small, repeatable actions rather than dramatic transformations is more effective. Real progress comes from habits that fit everyday life, ones that still feel achievable in February, sustainable in June, and part of the routine by next December.

In practice, goals are more likely to last when they are personally meaningful, clear but flexible, built gradually, focused on consistency rather than intensity, and supported by others.

“If your goal improves your quality of life, not just your body, you're far more likely to stick with it,” says Beddie.

Three simple ways to make your New Year's resolution stick

To get started, ExerciseNZ shares three simple, research-informed tips to help turn New Year's intentions into lasting habits.

Do it with others: Exercising with a friend, group, or support network helps build accountability and makes movement more enjoyable.
Choose movement you enjoy: People are far more likely to stay active when they enjoy what they're doing, rather than forcing routines they don't like.
Start small and be specific: Breaking goals into clear actions, such as exercising twice a week. This makes habits easier to repeat and maintain.

As 2026 begins, ExerciseNZ encourages New Zealanders to prioritise regular physical activity to support physical health, mental wellbeing, and long-term quality of life. Moving beyond short-term resolutions, support from local gyms and registered exercise professionals can help people incorporate movement into daily life and sustain safe, effective participation over time.

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Stats NZ updates material hardship measure for child poverty statistics – Stats NZ news story

Source: Statistics New Zealand

Stats NZ updates material hardship measure for child poverty statistics – news story

 

16 January 2026

Stats NZ has changed how we measure material hardship to ensure continuity between the new Household Income and Living Survey (HILS) and the Household Economic Survey (HES) it replaced in 2024.

HILS was introduced to streamline and modernise how Stats NZ collects and produces household income, expenditure, net worth, and child poverty statistics. It incorporates updated collection technology and questionnaire design to reduce the survey burden on respondents and improve data quality. To address the impact of these design changes, the Government Statistician has made the decision to update the methodology used to measure material hardship.

In February 2026, Stats NZ will produce material hardship statistics using an updated methodology that includes the use of a new 18-item index called MH-18.

Visit our website to read the full news story and methods paper: