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Banking – ASB cuts interest rates

Source: ASB

ASB has responded to the RBNZ's OCR announcement today, and is reducing interest rates across personal, business and rural lending by up to 0.25%.

ASB’s Executive General Manager Personal Banking Adam Boyd says, “As the easing interest rate cycle continues, we are maintaining support for our customers with lower lending rates.  Our variable loans are held by nearly 150,000 New Zealanders across personal, business and rural lending and these rates are the lowest they’ve been in more than two years.”

“We carefully consider the impact rate reductions have for all our customers. Today’s response to the OCR will bring relief to households and businesses while acknowledging the needs of our savers by not passing on the full 25 basis point cut to our savings products,” says Mr. Boyd.

ASB’s Housing Variable Rate will drop 20 basis points from 6.64% to 6.44%, while Orbit Variable will move from 6.74% to 6.54%. ASB’s Business Base Rate will drop 25 basis points from 11.77% to 11.52% while its Rural Base Rate will also drop by 0.25% from 9.01% to 8.76%.

In response to the OCR decrease, ASB is lowering some of its savings products, including Savings On Call and Headstart, by 20 basis points.

 

 

Home Loan* 

Current Rates 

New Rates 

Rate Change 

Housing Variable 

6.64% 

6.44%

– 0.20% 

Orbit Variable

6.74% 

6.54%

– 0.20% 

Back My Build 

4.19% 

3.99%

– 0.20% 

Note – Back My Build applications are no longer open to new customers. 

*These changes are effective from Wednesday 4thJune 2025 for new lending customers, and Friday 6thJune 2025 for existing lending customers.

 

Business Loan*

Current Rates 

New Rates 

Rate Change 

Business and Rural Floating Base Rate

 

4.94%

 

4.69%

 

– 0.25%

Business Base Rate

11.77%

11.52%

– 0.25%

Rural Base Rate

9.01%

8.76%

– 0.25%

Corporate Indicator Rate

6.18%

5.93%

– 0.25%

Special Purpose Base Rate

4.75%

4.50%

– 0.25%

*These changes are effective from Thursday 5th June 2025 for both new and existing customers.

 

Savings 

Band 

Current Rates 

New Rates 

Rate Change 

Savings On Call & ASB Cash Fund*

All Balances 

0.90% 

0.70% 

– 0.20% 

Savings Plus**

No Bonus 

0.70% 

0.50% 

– 0.20% 

Partial Bonus

0.80%

0.60%

– 0.20%

 

Full Bonus

2.90%

2.70%

– 0.20%

Headstart*

All Balances

2.90%

2.70%

– 0.20% 

*These changes are effective from Friday 6thJune 2025 for new and existing customers.

 

ASB has practical information for customers on the current interest rate environment available on its website as well support to help customers take control of their financial wellbeing and achieve their goals at its Financial Wellbeing Hub.

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Environment – Antarctic footprint clean-up challenges – How a remote Antarctic base clean-up protected one of Earth’s clearest lakes

Source: NIWA

The clean-up and site restoration of a New Zealand research station in Antarctica has provided valuable lessons on the challenges of contaminated sites, according to a study in the journal Polar Record, recently published by Cambridge University Press. 
The study found that while tonnes of contaminated materials were removed from the former Vanda field station, some residual contamination still remained. However, the remediation of the site in Antarctic’s Dry Valleys, which had served as a research base for a quarter of a century, didn’t affect measurably the water quality of the area’s largest and deepest lake or the biological communities that colonised the station footprint.
There was no detectable human-induced environmental change to the pristine Lake Vanda following the decommissioning of the research station, conclude researchers from NIWA, Waikato and Canterbury universities, and Antarctica New Zealand. The successful site rehabilitation shows that in a harsh environment, amongst delicate ecosystems, it is possible to ensure minimal impact from the restoration of a contaminated site, says NIWA aquatic scientist Dr Clive Howard-Williams.
“Located in Antarctica’s largest ice-free area, the arid Dry Valleys, Vanda Station is one of the few research stations that have been decommissioned under more stringent Antarctic environmental standards. Neither minimizing human impact nor climate change may have been top-of-mind when construction commenced in 1968. The eight-building complex was built on a ridge 200m away from Lake Vanda, which has a depth of 78m and some of the clearest water on earth, with a unique warm bottom layer that is more saline than the Dead Sea.”
The station facilities included a workshop, lab, generator room, huts for a dozen people, and a toilet above a removable drum, with a tractor hauling supplies and fuel from three helicopter landing areas to the station. The station was occupied every summer from 1968 (and even had staff year-round for three winters), hosting scientists, surveyors, maintenance staff, aircraft crews and VIPs. By the time it was closed in 1992, the site had hosted nearly 17,000 person-days – the equivalent of nearly 46 years. For a polar desert site, this is a substantial human footprint, says Antarctic inland water expert and veteran of more than three decades in the Dry Valleys, Waikato University’s Dr Ian Hawes.
It wasn’t the cumulative human impact that prompted the decision to close the research station, but the consequences of changes in climate. 
“While the station was located 15 m above the level of the large, ice-covered Lake Vanda, over time more glacial meltwater flowed from Antarctica’s longest waterway, the Onyx River, into the closed-basin lake. So by 1991, it was just 2.5m below the site. The threat of inundation meant removing the buildings and structures became critically important. In 1991, the Antarctic Treaty Parties had just agreed on the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, which provides for the comprehensive protection of the Antarctic environment. Its Annex III on waste management and disposal outlines the requirements for the management of wastes associated with present and future activities. Annex III called for programmes to clean up existing waste disposal sites and abandoned work sites so long as their removal didn’t result in a greater environmental impact than leaving the structure in its existing location. It was decided that decommissions of the station would be compliant with the Protocol even though New Zealand did not implement the Protocol into domestic legislation until 1994 as the Antarctica (Environmental Protection) Act.”
One concern was that compounds not normally found in the lake, such as organic phosphates, hydrocarbons, fats and soot, might contaminate Lake Vanda, says Professor Hawes. 
“A site survey found soil contamination around the station and other locations with hydrocarbons and domestic waste, including high metal concentrations, and contamination associated with detergents, food scraps, packaging and fuels, particularly in the area known as Greywater Gully. If contaminants or nutrients were released into the lake, it could affect the unique microbial mat communities that grow on the floor of Lake Vanda .So, a great deal of effort was put into removing the most contaminated soils and groundwater before the site was flooded. To assess the effectiveness of the rehabilitation, these microbial mats have been monitored, along with levels of trace metals and nutrients in the lake water at the station site.”
Rather than return the site to a pristine state, the plan focused on ensuring minimum impact on the lake ecosystem, ensuring that benefits outweighed the damage of remediation activities, says Dr Howard-Williams. 
“The plan included excavating and removing the soils and contaminated groundwater, including lead-based painted rocks and fuel-splattered dirt, and returning the terrain to a more natural, pre-human appearance. Around 400kg of contaminated groundwater from the gully along with 7,000kg of soil were shipped back to Scott Base for treatment and disposal.” 
Results showed that while initial research suggested contaminants from the gully could potentially impact the lake’s ecosystem, 20 years after decommissioning and the complete flooding of the site, there was no evidence of contaminants entering the lake water and the microbial communities colonising the station site were not significantly different from those developing in uncontaminated areas.
Dr Howard-Williams says while recent guidelines on cleaning up contaminated sites in Antarctica outlined in the Antarctic Clean Up Manual are useful, challenges remain particularly when not much is known about the consequences of contamination of Antarctic ecosystems. 
“It has been estimated that across Antarctica there may be around two million cubic metres of abandoned waste materials and hydro-carbon contaminated sediment. Effective remediation in Antarctica requires early planning, robust environmental baselines, and adaptive strategies grounded in research – recognising that full decontamination is rarely possible and must be balanced against the risk of further environmental harm. Despite the lack of comparable data, detailed clean-up guidelines, and contaminant baselines, Vanda’s clean up not only demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to good environmental management, but it will also serve as an example to other countries involved in operations across Antarctica.”
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Health and Employment – Auckland theatre nurses begin one-month on-call strike

Source: New Zealand Nurses Organisation

More than 370 Te Toka Tumai Auckland Te Whatu Ora theatre nurses have begun a month-long on-call strike over short-staffing which has forced them to do involuntary overtime.
It involves members of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) working at Auckland City Hospital, Starship Hospital and Greenlane Hospital. Perioperative nurses are those working in preoperative, theatre and postoperative care.
NZNO delegate and Starship perioperative nurse Haim Ainsworth says the month-long on-call strike follows rolling two-hour strikes by Auckland theatre nurses on 1 May.
“There are chronic and ongoing staff shortages in Auckland’s hospitals which are forcing us to work longer than we should.
“We stay late when we are needed because we care about our patients. Te Whatu Ora needs to ensure our shifts are adequately staffed and we are paid properly for any overtime we have to do.”
Haim Ainsworth says Te Whatu Ora needs to stop taking advantage of the goodwill of perioperative nurses.
“We won’t walk out on our patients. But short staffing which leads to nurses having to frequently do overtime is a risk to patient safety. It prevents nurses having enough time to care properly for their patients and leads to burnout. It is not sustainable and it's time it stopped,” he says.
NOTES:
– The strike began Monday 26 May at 7am and will run until Monday 23 June.
– The “on-call strike” involves perioperative nurses refusing to participate in the on-call roster which results in them having to do overtime they are not properly compensated for.
– NZNO has worked with Te Whatu Ora to ensure Life Preserving Services are in place for the duration of the strike.
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Economy – The lowering of the OCR by 0.25% to 3.25% is welcome news – FMAANZ

Source: Finance and Mortgage Advisers Association of New Zealand

May 28, 2025 – Comments from Leigh Hodgetts, country manager, Finance and Mortgage Advisers Association of New Zealand (FAMNZ)

RBNZ interest rate decision – “The lowering of the OCR by 0.25% to 3.25% is welcome news to borrowers and potential home owners across New Zealand.

Finance and Mortgage Advisers Association of New Zealand members have reported a steady stream of first home buyers entering the market and the news today will bring more comfort to Kiwis as they take on new mortgages.

Banks have started to factor in the lowered rates before the announcement today.

Both 1-2 year and 3-5 year fixed term rates are looking attractive as an option to the regular short term view.

Floating rates are still popular as borrowers gamble to see if we have reached the lowest rates for 2025.

This move today may encourage Kiwis to review their loans. As always we recommend you speak with a mortgage adviser to work out the best structure for your own mortgage that will reflect your personal circumstances.”

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Sport – Five New Zealand and Ellerslie AFC Forge New Partnership to Champion Women’s Football

Source: Five New Zealand and Ellerslie AFC

Auckland, New Zealand – 28 May 2025 – Five New Zealand Limited (https://www.fivenz.com), a leading strategy and transformation consultancy dedicated to building high performance organisations, is proud to announce a new three-year sponsorship partnership with Ellerslie AFC’s Women’s NRFL First Team.
This partnership reflects a powerful alignment of shared values between Five and Ellerslie – both organisations are deeply committed to excellence, inclusiveness, community, and the advancement of women in sport and beyond. Five’s core values – create what others can’t, bring a point of view, do good in the world, and strive for excellence, always – naturally complement Ellerslie’s mission to foster growth, integrity and inclusiveness across all levels of football.
Nick Mackeson-Smith, Founder and Director at Five New Zealand, says:
“At Five, we help organisations unlock their highest potential, and we see that same drive for excellence, progress and inclusion in Ellerslie AFC. We are thrilled to support a club that is not only developing incredible athletes but is also playing a leadership role in promoting the visibility, participation and progression of women in football. This sponsorship is about much more than a logo on a shirt – it’s about actively contributing to a movement that creates space for women to thrive on and off the pitch.”
The sponsorship agreement will see Five’s branding featured on the front of Ellerslie’s Women’s NRFL First Team playing shirts, prominent visibility across digital platforms, and collaboration on joint initiatives that elevate the team’s profile and strengthen connections with the local community.
Ellerslie AFC has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the Northern Region Football Gender Equity Action Plan and Charter, ensuring a welcoming and empowering environment for all women who wish to engage with the game.
Ellerslie AFC Chairman Tim Adams commented:
“We are incredibly excited to welcome Five New Zealand as a key partner in our journey. Their belief in high performance and their commitment to positive impact mirror our own. Together, we aim to raise the profile of women’s football and provide opportunities for players to develop, compete and lead, on the field and in the wider community.”
As the partnership launches, both organisations are eager to engage supporters, families, and the wider football community in celebrating women’s sport and amplifying the importance of inclusion and representation at all levels.

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Economy – OCR lowered to 3.25% – Reserve Bank of NZ

Source: Reserve Bank of New Zealand

28 May 2025 – The Monetary Policy Committee today voted to lower the OCR by 25 basis points to 3.25 percent.

Annual consumers price index inflation increased to 2.5 percent in the first quarter of 2025. Inflation expectations across firms and households have also risen. However, core inflation is declining and there is spare productive capacity in the economy. These conditions are consistent with inflation returning to the mid-point of the 1 to 3 percent target band over the medium term.

The New Zealand economy is recovering after a period of contraction. High commodity prices and lower interest rates are supporting overall economic activity.

Recent developments in the international economy are expected to reduce global economic growth. Both tariffs and increased policy uncertainty overseas are expected to moderate New Zealand's economic recovery and reduce medium-term inflation pressures. However, there remains considerable uncertainty around these judgements.

Inflation is within the target band, and the Committee is well placed to respond to domestic and international developments to maintain price stability over the medium term.

Read the full statement and Record of meeting below:

Summary Record of Meeting – May 2025

Annual consumers price index (CPI) inflation remains within the Monetary Policy Committee’s 1 to 3 percent target band. While measures of inflation expectations have increased, core inflation and spare productive capacity in the economy are consistent with inflation returning to the target mid-point over the medium term. Elevated export prices and recent reductions in the OCR are expected to support a modest pace of growth in the New Zealand economy, even as increased global tariffs are expected to slow global economic growth.

Higher global tariffs and policy uncertainty are expected to lower global growth

The Committee noted that projections for global economic activity have weakened since the February Statement, reflecting the shift towards protectionist policies in some major economies.  There have been downward revisions to economic growth projections for China and the US, reflecting the scale of tariff increases between these two countries.

The Committee noted that, in addition to the direct effect of higher tariffs, increased policy uncertainty in the international economy is likely to weigh on global investment and consumption. As well as uncertainty about tariff retaliation, it was unclear how countries would respond with fiscal and monetary policies. For example, it is possible that China could respond to weaker economic activity with a sizeable fiscal stimulus. US fiscal policy could place strains on the sustainability of its public debt. More generally, the uncertain trajectory of geoeconomic fragmentation and the decline in the quality of macroeconomic institutional arrangements were likely to result in precautionary behaviour by firms and households. In aggregate, economic growth in New Zealand’s main trading partners is expected to remain below potential over 2025.

Headline inflation within New Zealand’s trading partner economies has fallen over the past year. Projections for inflation for most of our trading partners have been revised down in recent quarters. The main exception is the US, where higher tariffs are expected to increase inflationary pressure.

The New Zealand economy is starting to recover, after contracting over the middle of 2024

The Committee noted that spare productive capacity remains in the New Zealand economy. This is projected to dissipate over the medium term as the economy recovers. Elevated export commodity prices and lower interest rates are supporting overall economic activity in the New Zealand economy. The Committee noted that the full economic effects of cuts in the OCR since August 2024 are yet to be fully realised.

The Committee discussed conditions in New Zealand’s labour market. Nominal wage growth is slowing, while firms report that it is easier to find workers. Employment growth is currently modest but expected to increase from the second half of the year in line with the broader economic recovery.

The announced increase in US tariffs will lower global demand for New Zealand’s exports, particularly from Asia, constraining domestic growth. Heightened global policy uncertainty is expected to weigh on business investment and consumption in New Zealand.

On balance, the Committee expects the increase in global tariffs to result in less inflationary pressure in the New Zealand economy. However, as discussed below, there is significant uncertainty about this assessment, depending on whether the impact of tariffs proves to be predominantly demand- or supply-side in nature. The domestic monetary policy response will focus on the medium-term implications for inflation.

Domestic fiscal policy is assessed as being broadly neutral from a medium-term inflation perspective, relative to February Statement projections. The change announced in Budget 2025 enabling businesses to bring forward depreciation allowances is assumed to increase investment activity. However, the inflationary consequences of this policy are assumed to be offset by an announced reduction in government spending.

Annual CPI inflation is expected to remain in the target band, and converge to the mid-point

The Committee discussed domestic inflationary pressure. New Zealand’s annual CPI inflation increased to 2.5 percent in the March 2025 quarter, largely in line with previous projections. Most annual core inflation measures continued to decline in the March 2025 quarter, and all are now within the target band for headline CPI inflation.  

Annual CPI inflation is projected to increase to 2.7 percent in Q3 2025, then return to near the 2 percent target midpoint from 2026. The near-term increase in headline inflation includes higher food and electricity price inflation.

Non-tradables inflation is expected to continue to decline, consistent with spare productive capacity in the economy. Annual tradables inflation is projected to remain around 1 percent over the medium term, reflecting below average global growth and falling inflation within our trading partners.

The financial system remains stable

The Committee noted that most wholesale interest rates have fallen since the February Statement, resulting in lower mortgage and term deposit rates. The average interest rate on the stock of mortgages is expected to continue to decline in coming quarters as more mortgage holders refix at lower fixed-term interest rates. Close to half the stock of mortgages is due to reprice during the June and September 2025 quarters.

The Committee was briefed on financial system stability. While non-performing loans in the housing and small business sectors have increased in line with the past contraction in the economy, the banking system remains well capitalised and in a strong financial position to support customers. The Committee agreed that there is currently no material trade-off between meeting inflation objectives and maintaining financial system stability.

The Committee was briefed on the status of the Large Scale Asset Purchase programme. The Committee noted there has been increased volatility in domestic wholesale interest rates, reflecting increased global policy uncertainty. Despite this volatility, wholesale interest rate markets continue to function, without impeding monetary policy transmission.

Risks around the economic outlook are heightened

The Committee discussed several key risks around the central projection. Measures of business and household inflation expectations have increased. The Committee discussed whether this increase reflected factors like higher food prices and current reporting on the inflationary effect of tariffs in the US. The projections assume that medium-term inflation expectations remain consistent with the target mid-point. Some Committee members emphasised the risk that these increases reflect a more generalised and persistent increase in inflation expectations.

The Committee discussed the medium-term outlook for import prices. Members noted that a less productive global economy, against a background of deglobalisation, presents an upside risk to the current import price projection.

The Committee noted downside risks to the outlook for export prices. This reflects a weaker global growth outlook and the potential for a quicker international supply response to high prices from global meat and dairy producers.

The Committee noted the risk that large economic policy shifts in overseas economies could lead to additional volatility in financial markets. For example, concerns about US debt sustainability could lead to increased bond yields or declines in global asset prices.

There are alternative scenarios for the domestic outlook

In addition to the uncertain scale and duration of tariff policies, it is unclear how these will transmit to the New Zealand economy. Some members emphasised that the costs of trade could increase more than currently assumed, as global supply chains adapt to trade barriers and geoeconomic fragmentation. This could result in greater domestic medium-term inflationary pressure than in the central projection. Other members emphasised that policy uncertainty could lower global investment, and trade diversion could lower import prices by more than currently assumed. This could, instead, lower medium-term inflationary pressure relative to the central projection.

Two scenarios in the May Statement highlight how the realisation of these risks could affect the outlook for the domestic economy. These scenarios represent just two of many paths the economy may take as higher tariffs and uncertainty transmit through the system. They are intended to broadly highlight the trade-offs and considerations facing the Committee should these risks eventuate.

The Committee noted that, in practice, a broad range of factors contribute to its monetary policy decisions. Its response to any of these risks would depend on economic conditions at the time, the outlook for inflationary pressure, and its secondary objectives of avoiding unnecessary instability in the economy and having regard to financial system stability.

The Committee voted to reduce the OCR to 3.25 percent

The Committee agreed on the projected central path for the OCR.

The Committee discussed the options of keeping the OCR on hold at 3.50 percent or reducing it to 3.25 percent. The case for lowering the OCR to 3.25 percent highlighted that CPI inflation is in the target range and there is significant spare capacity in the economy. Measures of core inflation and wage inflation have continued to decline. In addition, there is a weaker outlook for domestic activity and inflationary pressure relative to the February Statement, because of international developments. Some members also emphasised that non-tradable inflation was currently being boosted by administered prices. Given these factors, a 25 basis point decline in the OCR was seen as consistent with medium-term price stability.

In considering the merits of holding the OCR unchanged at 3.50 percent for this meeting, some members noted that this would allow the Committee to better assess whether increased economic policy uncertainty was having a noticeable impact on household and firm behaviour. An unchanged OCR could also further consolidate inflation expectations around the target mid-point, and guard against the risk of higher-than expected inflation from the supply-side effects of increased tariffs.  

On Wednesday 28 May, the Committee took the decision to vote on the two options. By a majority of 5 votes to 1, the Committee agreed to decrease the OCR by 25 basis points from 3.50 percent to 3.25 percent.

Inflation is within the target band, and the Committee is well placed to respond to both domestic and international developments to maintain price stability over the medium term.

Attendees

Members of MPC: Christian Hawkesby (Chair), Bob Buckle, Carl Hansen, Karen Silk, Paul Conway, Prasanna Gai
Treasury Observer: Dominick Stephens
MPC Secretary: Adam Richardson.

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PSA calls on Te Roopu Taurima to abide by ERA recommendations

Source: PSA

The PSA is calling on the country’s largest kaupapa Māori community disability provider Te Roopu Taurima  o Manukau Trust to accept an Employment Relations Authority (ERA) Facilitator’s recommendation to settle a collective agreement.
Te Roopu Taurima operates residential whare in Te Tai Tokerau/Northland, Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland, Waikato, Waitaha/Canterbury, and a residential mental health whare in Whangārei.
Following 11 days of bargaining and four days in ERA facilitation, Te Roopu Taurima is yet to agree to the Facilitators’ recommendations to settle the collective agreement for its Kaitaataki and Poutaakai staff members, says Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi National Secretary Kerry Davies.
Kaitaataki and Poutaaki are the leaders in disability residential whare and are key to ensuring tangata receive the best support to enable good lives.
“Kaitaataki and Poutaataki continue to be subject to a lockout of additional hours, despite how this can affect tangata, kaiawhina (support workers they lead) and their own whānau,” Davies says.
“Our members, many of whom are Māori, Pasifika, and migrant workers, have reported losses in earnings of hundreds of dollars, which as already underpaid workers, they cannot afford.
“At the same time the lockout is resulting in shortages of available staff in some whare. It’s a ridiculous lose-lose situation for Te Roopu Taurima, its workers and the people they care for,” Davies says. “It is unusual and baffling as to why Te Roopu Taurima have not accepted the Facilitator's recommendations.
“Both parties have a responsibility to seriously consider and accept the Facilitator's recommendations except in extraordinary circumstances.
“Te Roopu Taurima and its bargaining team, who seem determined to continue a dispute without good cause, are failing the workers and the people who rely on them for support,” Davies says.
The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand's largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health and community groups.
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Transport – Poor roads and ferry delays a major risk to safety and the economy

Source: Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand

The road freight industry is warning the poor state of New Zealand’s roads are having a serious impact on the safety of road users.
And there are major concerns delays over replacements for the Interislander Cook Strait ferries could have a big negative flow-on effect for the economy.
Billy Clemens, the Policy and Advocacy Head at Transporting New Zealand, says the vast majority (93 per cent) of respondents in the 2025 National Road Freight Industry Survey agreed poor road maintenance is putting truck drivers and other road users at risk.
As well, a significant number (84 per cent), believed that regional roads and bridges are neglected, and that delays in replacing the Cook Strait ferries pose a major risk (79 per cent). (The survey was done before the announcement that the Aratere is to be retired in August.)
The 2025 National Road Freight Industry Survey of nearly 200 road freight businesses was conducted in March this year by Research NZ on behalf of advocacy group Transporting New Zealand. The survey was also supported by the New Zealand Heavy Haulage Association and Groundspread NZ. It represents the most extensive industry snapshot in over a decade.
“The survey painted a gloomy financial picture for business – only 34 per cent of those surveyed expected their financial situation to improve over the next 12 months, and only one in four respondents reported having sustainable operating margins,” Clemens says.
Health, safety and wellbeing are big concerns for the industry, with 78 per cent of respondents calling for more purpose-designed rest stops for drivers, and 72 per cent saying it was important for drivers to have a good work-life balance.
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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Ukraine: Air raid sirens halted one in every five lessons this school year – Save the Children

Source: Save the Children

Air raid sirens forced children in Ukraine to miss an average of one in every five school lessons during the past academic year that ends this week with pupils preparing the third consecutive summer under war, Save the Children said. 
In some regions, pupils missed over half of their classes during the 2024-2025 academic year due to air raid sirens, according to a Save the Children analysis of publicly available data [2] about the frequency of air raid alerts and impact on education from 2 September 2024 to 11 May 2025. 
Save the Children's analysis, using methodology developed this year, [2] found if students had five lessons in a typical day, on average they would miss one due to air raid sirens. This sustained disruption is putting an entire generation’s learning and development at risk, and chipping away at children’s mental wellbeing. 
The most significant disruptions to the education process occurred in the northern and central regions of Ukraine – those closest to the frontline of fighting. Children in the Sumy region were the most impacted, missing an estimated 85% of all scheduled lessons, equivalent to about 700 out of 830 lessons. Kharkiv and Donetsk regions had visibly higher losses than most other regions, with students missing over two thirds of lessons over the year. 
For the Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions, territories located near active hostilities, students missed out on over 40% of lessons. The analysis is released in the same week as the 10th anniversary of the Safe Schools Declaration , [1] the inter-governmental political commitment to protect schools, students and teachers during armed conflict. It is based on methodology developed by the Center for Education in Emergencies Research as part of the 2024-2026 Multi-Year Resilience Programme (MYRP Ukraine), funded by the global fund Education Cannot Wait. 
Across Ukraine, children live in constant fear of potential attacks that frequently keep them home from school, as air raid sirens often start in the morning and persist throughout the school day. Since February 2022, more than 4,000 educational institutions have been damaged or destroyed, including 229 schools, 110 kindergartens, and 97 universities. Air raid sirens in Ukraine are only activated in case of a real threat or emergency. 
When a siren sounds, teachers must immediately stop the lesson and escort children to a shelter. Classes can only resume if the shelter is properly equipped as a temporary learning space which is rarely the case. Even in schools operating online due to security concerns or a lack of shelters, lessons are interrupted as children must still seek shelter during alerts. 
Students must remain in a safe place until the threat has passed. With the escalation of conflict coming just a year after schools re-opened following the COVID-19 pandemic, the toll of lost learning has been immense. UNESCO data shows that schools in Ukraine were fully closed for 125 learning days [3] during the pandemic and partially closed for a further 95. 
A quarter of children – 24% – are still restricted to online learning only, due to lack of shelters in schools and other security issues. 
Halyna-, a mother and a teacher from Mykolaiv, who teaches in person, said: 
“Our children have been through such a distressing experience. They constantly read news channels, they understand what ballistics are, how missiles are launched, their potential trajectory, and the different types of explosions. They know what it means when a missile is launched and when it hits. They understand all of it. But understanding doesn’t take away the fear. The psychological stress they’re under is immense.”
Sonia Khush, Country Director for Save the Children in Ukraine, said: 
“Children in Ukraine, especially those who live in the East and near the frontline, are under constant stress because of air raid sirens both day and night. “Due to bombs and drones, school is no longer a safe space. All parties to the conflict must protect education – schools, kindergartens, universities – in line with the commitments of the Safe Schools Declaration. While Ukraine has been forced to get used to a new normal, children’s rights must be guaranteed. We call on the international community, governments, and all parties to the conflict to ensure the safety of schools and uphold children’s right to learn in peace”. 
May 2025 marks the 10th anniversary of the Safe Schools Declaration. A total of 121 states have committed to taking concrete steps to prevent attacks on education, avoid the use of schools for military purposes, and safeguard the right to learn even in times of crisis. 
As the Declaration states, ” Every boy and girl have the right to an education without fear of violence or attack. Every school should be a protected space for students to learn, and fulfill their potential, even during war.” 
Save the Children has been working in Ukraine since 2014. Since 24 February 2022, the children’s rights agency has dramatically scaled up its operations and now has a team of 250 staff based in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Dnipro, Donetsk and Chernivtsi. Working with more than 25 partners, the organisation has provided essential support and reached more than 3.44 million people, including around 1.4 million children.
Notes:
[1] In November 2019, Ukraine became the 100th country to endorse the Safe Schools Declaration.
[2] Save the Children broadly followed the methodology adopted in this Center of Excellence of Education study to estimate lessons lost due to air raid alerts that occurred on school days and during school hours, using a publicly accessible database of air raid alerts available here. Only oblast level alerts were considered. Since the length of the school day and the number and length of lessons varies by grade, we took averages to work out estimates across school children of all ages. Given that an alert is likely to lead to learning disruption longer than just the length of the alert, following Vox Ukraine’s methodology, we considered any alert in secondary school of between 5 and 59 minutes as leading to the loss of an entire lesson, while for primary students a lesson was considered lost as a result of any alert lasting between 5 and 54 minutes since primary school lessons are shorter. School holidays vary between schools; however, we followed announcements in local news articles to guide identification of holiday days which with weekends and public holidays were not counted in the calculations.
[3] Excluding holidays  
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UNICEF – ‘Unimaginable horrors’: more than 50,000 children reportedly killed or injured in the Gaza Strip

Source: UNICEF

AMMAN, 27 May 2025 – Statement by UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Edouard Beigbeder

“In a 72-hour period this weekend, images from two horrific attacks provide yet more evidence of the unconscionable cost of this ruthless war on children in the Gaza Strip.

“On Friday, we saw videos of the bodies of burnt, dismembered children from the al-Najjar family being pulled from the rubble of their home in Khan Younis. Of 10 siblings under 12 years old, only one reportedly survived, with critical injuries.

“Early Monday, we saw images of a small child trapped in a burning school in Gaza City. That attack, in the early hours of the morning, reportedly killed at least 31 people, including 18 children.

“These children – lives that should never be reduced to numbers – are now part of a long, harrowing list of unimaginable horrors: the grave violations against children, the blockade of aid, the starvation, the constant forced displacement, and the destruction of hospitals, water systems, schools, and homes. In essence, the destruction of life itself in the Gaza Strip.

“Since the end of the ceasefire on 18 March, 1,309 children have reportedly been killed and 3,738 injured. In total, more than 50,000 children have reportedly been killed or injured since October 2023. How many more dead girls and boys will it take? What level of horror must be livestreamed before the international community fully steps up, uses its influence, and takes bold, decisive action to force the end of this ruthless killing of children?

“UNICEF is once again urging all parties to the conflict to end the violence, protect civilians, including children, respect international humanitarian law and human rights law, allow the immediate provision of humanitarian aid, and release all hostages.

“The children of Gaza need protection. They need food, water, and medicine. They need a ceasefire. But more than anything, they need immediate, collective action to stop this once and for all.”
 
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