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New Zealand Flag to fly at half-mast upon death of former Prime Minister Rt Hon Jim Bolger

Source: Ministry for Culture and Heritage

As a mark of mourning and respect, the New Zealand Flag is to be flown at half-mast on all Government and public buildings on Thursday 16 October 2025 to mark the death of former Prime Minister the Right Honourable Jim Bolger.
This instruction applies to all Government Departments, buildings and naval vessels which have flag poles and normally fly the New Zealand Flag. The Flag should be returned to full mast at the close of business hours on 16 October 2025.
The New Zealand Flag is again to be flown at half mast to mark the funeral of the Rt Hon Jim Bolger on the day of his funeral. Further advice as to the date of the funeral will be provided once it is available.
The flag is half-masted by first raising it to the top of the mast and then immediately lowering it slowly to the half-mast position. The half-mast position will depend on the size of the flag and the length of the flagpole. The flag must be lowered to a position recognisably “half-mast” to avoid the appearance of a flag which has accidentally fallen away from the top of the flagpole. As a guide, the flag should be more than its own depth from the top of the flagpole. 
 At the end of the day, the flag should be raised again to the top of the flagpole before being fully lowered. For more information about half-masting the flag, visit the Manatū Taonga website: Display rules for the New Zealand flag
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Advocacy – World Food Day — October 16

Source: Palestine Forum of New Zealand

World Food Day is a reminder that access to food is a basic human right, not a privilege. Yet in Palestine, especially in Gaza, this right is being deliberately denied.

While the world marks this day with calls to “leave no one behind,” Palestinians face an engineered famine. Over 99% of households in Gaza are food insecure, and millions are being starved under a brutal siege. Humanitarian convoys are blocked, farmland is bombed, bakeries are destroyed, and families are forced to survive on crumbs.

This is not a natural disaster; it’s a weapon of war. Hunger is being used to break the spirit of a people who refuse to surrender their land and dignity.

But the Palestinian people continue to resist. From farmers defending their olive groves to families sharing the little they have, their resilience is a powerful act of defiance.

On World Food Day, the world must not look away. Food must never be a weapon.

 Stand with Palestine.
 Demand an end to the siege.
 Defend the right to food and life.

Palestine Forum of New Zealand

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Porirua City Elections 2025 – Final results

Source: Porirua City Council

All votes have now been counted and the shape of Porirua City Council for the next year years has been decided.
Today’s final results update the earlier progress and preliminary results, now that the 797 special votes have been tallied.
Current Mayor Anita Baker has been re-elected receiving 8935 votes. Kathleen Filo finished second, with 8033 votes, followed by Ura Wilson-Pokoati with 1565 votes.
Elected in the Onepoto General Ward are Kathleen Filo (1684 votes), Geoff Hayward (1337 votes), Mike Duncan (1220 votes), Izzy Ford (1281 votes) and Hemi Fermanis (1145 votes).
In the Pāuatahanui General Ward the successful candidates are Josh Trlin (1774 votes), Nathan Waddle (1667 votes), Moira Lawler (1576 votes) and Ross Leggett (1575 votes).
In the Parirua Māori Ward, Kylie Wihapi has been re-elected with 936 votes, ahead of Jess Te Huia on 925 votes, Raniera Albert on 319 votes, and Rawinia Rimene on 208 votes.
Voters have opted to keep the Māori Ward. There were1 1,775 votes to keep and 5240 to remove.
In the non-binding poll, voters were in favour of working with other councils in the Wellington region to explore the possibility of creating one single council (9581 for and 7399 against).
Voter turnout was 40.7%, an increase from the last election in 2022 where turnout was 36.7%.
Mayor Baker said it was a privilege to be re-elected and to serve the city where she was born, raised and brought up her own family.
“I want to sincerely thank everyone who took the time to vote and show their support – and to acknowledge our incredible community, whose energy and heart make Porirua such a special place.
“Porirua is a city of heart, diversity, and enormous potential. I’m looking forward to working with a great team of councillors to deliver on the priorities that matter most – listening to our community, focusing on what’s affordable, and keeping Porirua moving forward.”
For full details of the results visit poriruacity.govt.nz/elections
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PACIFIC: Collision of crises deepens child nutrition challenges in PNG, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu – Save the Children

Source: Save the Children
A new study from Save the Children released on World Food Day is warning that climate change is worsening child malnutrition in Papua New Guinea (PNG), Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, as climate-induced disasters become more frequent and intense in the Pacific. 
The relationship between the urgent crises of malnutrition and climate change is still emerging and underexamined. Save the Children’s study has found that climate change is making it significantly harder for families to access healthy food, affecting not only how food is grown but also raises the price of produce, impacts livelihoods and limits market access. All of this reduces the availability and market stability of fresh, nutritious foods and pushes people toward cheaper, unhealthy options.
The figures are alarming. Melanesia faces a ‘triple burden of malnutrition’. One in three Melanesian children faces stunting, anemia, or being overweight. Almost half of PNG’s children (48.2%) have stunted growth due to chronic malnutrition. In Solomon Islands, nearly 32% of children are stunted and in Vanuatu, the prevalence of stunting is 29%, with wasting affecting 8% of children under five.
Meanwhile, the region grapples with some of the world’s fastest-intensifying climate-induced disasters. In 2023, Vanuatu experienced three severe tropical cyclones, with Tropical Cyclone Lola the earliest Category 5 cyclone ever recorded in the southern hemisphere, making it the most intense pre-season cyclone ever.
Annette is a 32-year-old mother of two, currently pregnant with her third child. She lives in Vanuatu’s Shefa Province which was severely hit by twin tropical cyclones Judy and Kevin in 2023. She told Save the Children, 
” Climate change has had a serious impact on our gardens. The quality of some local produce is not what it was 10 to 15 years ago. For those of us who depend on the local market, it’s especially difficult-our small planting areas are no longer healthy or fertile. I see children becoming malnourished because they’re not eating the right kinds of food. Instead, they’re filling up on things like uncooked noodles, sweets, and soft drinks.”
Across the three countries, repeated climate-related disasters such as cyclones and floods destroy crops and affect fishing grounds, disrupting local food supplies and cutting access to vital nutrients like protein, iron and zinc. At the same time, essential water, sanitation and health infrastructure are damaged and become challenging to access for already remote island populations. Community members are reporting that these cumulative effects are becoming harder to bounce back from, making it a struggle to keep children fed and protected from illness. 
During the critical first 1,000 days of life (from conception to their second birthday) children require optimal nutrition to establish foundations for lifelong health and development. However, the Pacific’s fragile food, water and health systems are creating the devastating triple burden of malnutrition including:
– Undernutrition and stunting
– Rising obesity rates
– ‘Hidden hunger’: the lack of essential vitamins and minerals required to grow
Save the Children Vanuatu Country Director, Polly Banks says the impacts of climate change are systematically undermining the food, health and water systems that underpin child nutrition, making recovery from crises increasingly difficult and creating long-term developmental setbacks. 
“Communities across the Pacific are on the front line of the climate crisis, with little recovery time between climate-induced disasters. This study draws attention to the pressing challenges facing communities already struggling to ensure their children have healthy and nutritious diets. 
“Across the world, but especially in the Pacific, the first 1,000 days of a child’s life is critical, and climate induced cyclones, changing rainfall and rising sea levels will increase the vulnerability that children and their communities are facing. “We cannot look at the child nutrition crisis in the Pacific and the very real threat of climate change as two separate issues; they are and have always been connected and we have an opportunity to address the risks that this poses.
“We are calling for increased attention on embedding nutrition in climate adaptation efforts and to increase climate-sensitive approach into key sectors – food, health and water systems. We have an opportunity to act now, before the impacts of climate change on nutrition become irreversible.”
Save the Children is calling for Pacific governments and partners to integrate nutrition into climate adaptation policies and programs across agriculture, health, social protection, and infrastructure to ensure vulnerable populations are protected and can build resilience.
Notes: 
The study was commissioned and managed by Save the Children and undertaken by Dikoda. A webinar launching the study with experts from across the region will take place 1-2pm Fiji time (16 October). A link to the webinar can be found here: 
Who: Alisi Tuqa, Food Systems Programme Lead, The Pacific Community Tracy Yuen, Pacific Regional Health and Nutrition Technical Advisor, Save the Children Haruka, NextGen Climate Youth Ambassador Vanuatu and Asia-Pacific Youth Representative for the Born into the Climate Crisis II study Gladys Habu, UNICEF Pacific Ambassador, Solomon Islands.
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Fire and Emergency New Zealand celebrate 30 years of USAR

Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand

Fire and Emergency New Zealand is celebrating 30 years since the establishment of its Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) capability.
The milestone is being marked around the country this week at Fire and Emergency’s Northern, Central and Southern USAR bases.
Some of the original trainees, as well as the United States-based trainers, from the first NZ USAR course held in 1995 at Linton Army Camp have been in attendance.
Fire and Emergency National Manager Response Capability Ken Cooper says the USAR capability continues to be a crucial function of the organisation.
“Our USAR team has been deployed to disasters such as the Christchurch earthquake, the Kaikoura earthquake, Cyclone Gabrielle, and overseas assisting at tropical cyclones in Fiji, Tonga, and Vanuatu, floods in the Solomon Islands, and to Papua New Guinea to help with the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Both locally and globally we are seeing an increase in both the frequency and severity of the effects of natural hazards.
“All of these phenomena will see an increasing need for the skills and expertise of our USAR teams.”
The celebration this week brings together past and present USAR personnel and partner agencies and acknowledges the significant contributions of foundational and current leaders, particularly the original United States instructors, participants, and the programme architect.
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Renewable Energy – Auckland solar farm granted consent

Source: Environmental Protection Authority

An independent panel has granted resource consents and confirmed notice of requirement, subject to conditions, for the Glorit solar farm and substation, North Auckland.
Solar P LP and Transpower New Zealand Limited applied for resource consents and a notice of requirement under the Natural and Built Environment Act 2023.The project involves constructing and operating an approximately 179MW photovoltaic solar farm with energy storage and a 33kV transmission line, and an ancillary substation at Glorit, north of Auckland. The solar farm site is approximately 300 hectares, with the solar farm on 283 hectares of the site.
The resource consent conditions are in the decision report on the page linked below.
The decision comes 150 working days after the application was lodged with the Environmental Protection Authority.
The Environmental Protection Authority is not involved in the decision-making. We provide procedural advice and administrative support to the panel.
Note that this application was made under the now repealed Natural and Built Environment Act 2023 and not the more recent fast-track legislation.
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Appointments – Police Association welcomes new president

Source: NZ Police Association

Delegates elected Steve Watt as president of the New Zealand Police Association today during the organisation’s 90th annual conference in Wellington.
Steve has served as vice-president of the association since 2022 and has also served as a NZPA committee chairman and Region 7 (Southern) director.
Outgoing president Chris Cahill did not seek re-election to the position, which he has held for nine years.
About Steve Watt
Senior Sergeant Steve Watt has been with Police for 25 years and is team leader of Road Policing for Otago Lakes Central. He brings 13 years’ experience of Police Association operations to the presidency as well as a high level of business acumen and professionalism.
He says he is passionate about protecting association members and achieving the best outcomes for them. “I will always put the interests of members first.”
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Civil Defence – Can’t ‘Drop Cover Hold’? You can still ShakeOut!

Source: NEMA

Mobility or access issues needn’t be a barrier to staying safe in an earthquake, with ShakeOut participants being encouraged to do the drill in a way that works for them.

ShakeOut 2025, New Zealand’s national earthquake drill and tsunami hīkoi (evacuation), has attracted more than 730,000 sign-ups – the biggest turnout since 2019. ShakeOut happens this Thursday at 9.30am and while most people will follow the “Drop, Cover, Hold” advice, there are many other ways everyone can take part.

“We want to make sure that all people, regardless of mobility or access needs, are able to learn the actions they need to stay safe during an earthquake.” says John Price, Director of Civil Defence Emergency Management at NEMA.

“That’s why we’ve created alternative guidance to ‘drop, cover, hold’ so that as many people as possible can take part in ShakeOut safely.”

If you’re not able to easily drop, cover, and hold, these are some of the variations you can do instead:

If you’re in bed or a recliner: Stay, Cover, Hold – stay in bed, pull the blankets over you, and protect your head and neck with a pillow.
If you’re using a cane: Drop, Cover, Hold, or sit on a chair/bed, cover your head and neck with both hands, keep your cane nearby to use when the shaking stops.
If you’re using a walker: Lock, Cover, Hold – lock your wheels (if applicable), carefully get as low as possible, cover your head and neck, and hold on until the shaking stops.
If you’re using a wheelchair: Lock, Cover, Hold – lock your wheels, bend over, cover your head and neck as best as you can, and hold on until the shaking stops.
If you’re sitting in a chair: Stay, Cover, Hold – bend over, cover your head and neck as best as you can, and hold on until the shaking stops.
If you have a disability assist dog, try to get them under cover with you, or keep them close beside you.

ShakeOut is also a great opportunity to check how prepared you are for emergencies in general. This could include replenishing your emergency supplies, or developing an emergency plan for everyone in your household, including pets or assistance animals.

“Make sure everyone in your household has an easy-to-access grab bag. For your disability assist dog, it should include food and water, medications, vaccination records, identification and equipment like leads and harnesses,” says Whaikaha – Ministry of Disabled People Deputy Chief Executive of Outreach and Innovation, Rebecca Elvy.

“Have a plan and practice it, so you and your household know what to do with your disability assist dog during an emergency.”

Further household preparation could also include securing earthquake-prone hazards around your home. The Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake sponsor ShakeOut 2025, and says preparing your home now will help keep your family safe when the next emergency hits.

“It’s a great time to make sure you’ve secured heavy furniture or items that could fall on you in an earthquake,” says Hamish Armstrong, NHC Public Education Manager.

“If you ‘fix, fasten and don’t forget’ now, it’ll give you peace of mind that you and your whānau are secure, and it’ll make sure you aren’t rushing around during earthquake shaking to check on your family.”

ShakeOut is a self-run exercise, so it’s up to you how you take part. You can simply do the drill by itself, or you can use it to take some additional steps to prepare your household.

“Emergency preparation starts with all of us. First you, then your family, then your community,” John Price says.

“That’s why ShakeOut is more than just a drill – it’s a great annual reminder that emergencies happen, and we all need to prepare for them,” Price says.

For more information about ShakeOut, and to sign up, visit getready.govt.nz/shakeout.

For more information about how to create an emergency plan in multiple formats, including braille, New Zealand Sign Language, audio, and easy read, visit getready.govt.nz

Image attached: “Lock, cover hold” advice for wheelchair users. Further examples available on request.

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Property Market – New rating valuations for Ōpōtiki District – QV

Source: Quotable Value

Ōpōtiki District property owners will soon receive a Notice of Rating Valuation in the post, containing an updated rating value for their property.
The new rating valuations have been prepared for 6,178 properties on behalf of Ōpōtiki District Council by Quotable Value (QV). They show the total rateable value for the district is now $4,644,708,850, with the land value of those properties now $2,240,957,150.
Rating valuations are usually carried out on all New Zealand properties every three years to help local councils set rates for the following three-year period. They reflect the likely selling price of a property (excluding chattels) at the effective revaluation date, which was 1 June 2025.
On average, the value of residential housing in Ōpōtiki has decreased by 3.5% since the previous effective revaluation date of 1 July 2022. The average home value is now $549,000, while the corresponding average land value has decreased by 23.3% to $252,000.
QV Senior Consultant and Registered Valuer Michael Power said, “Rating valuations are like a snapshot of the market at a point in time. When the previous rating valuations were set in July 2022, the local property market was coming off a period of exceptional post-pandemic growth.”
“In response to that rapid escalation and rising inflation, the Reserve Bank substantially lifted the Official Cash Rate (OCR) to rein in spending and bring inflation under control. The resulting spike in interest rates sharply reduced borrowing power and dampened buyer demand,” he said.
“Since then, the higher prices and tighter lending conditions have made it more difficult for first-home buyers to enter the market, while decreasing values and reduced yields curbed investor activity. The Ōpōtiki District experienced strong growth during that boom and has since undergone corrections.”
“By June 2025, the market in Ōpōtiki was relatively subdued, which reflects the general trend across the country. While the OCR has recently seen a few cuts and interest rates are trending down again, other significant economic headwinds continue to deter growth. Job insecurity and cost-of-living pressures have weighed on household confidence. Combined with ongoing global uncertainty and weaker buyer sentiment, what was a sellers’ market in early 2022 has shifted to a buyers’ market in 2025.”
He added that the housing market was relatively flat, with a low volume of transactions. There is reasonable stock at the entry-level/lower end of the market. “Sales at the middle to high end have been limited, and values at this level are generally holding, depending on the nature of a property’s improvements and modernisation. The demand for vacant land has declined significantly.”
“The commercial market has been very subdued over the last two years, with limited demand for retail and office space. Older, larger buildings requiring earthquake strengthening have had greater falls in value.”
“The industrial market is quiet, with existing industries continuing to service the district,” Mr Power added. “Overall, commercial properties have decreased in capital value by 15%, and industrial properties have decreased by 12%,” he said.
Within the rural sectors, demand for pastoral farms remains weak, with very low sales volumes since the last revaluation. Dairy and horticulture are the preferred land uses in this area, with most pastoral interest arising only where conversion to one of these higher-performing land uses is financially viable.
Dairy generally attracts stronger demand, resulting in less market appetite for pastoral land in comparison, while horticultural developments – particularly kiwifruit – remain a major investment drawcard in the Bay of Plenty. Overall, dairy farm properties have decreased in capital value by 0.5%, and pastoral properties have decreased by 9.3%. Horticultural properties have decreased by just under 5%, coming off a high value base in 2022.
The Ōpōtiki lifestyle property market has also experienced a correction since peaking in 2022, with values dipping in 2023 before stabilising and showing early signs of recovery in 2024. While overall market activity has been more subdued than in previous high-growth years, there remains steady demand, particularly from retiring farmers downsizing from larger rural holdings and urban buyers seeking a rural lifestyle.
Listings offering coastal and expansive rural views continue to attract strong interest, with these attributes seen as premium features. Values tend to soften the further east along the coast from Ōpōtiki township, reflecting increased isolation and reduced access to amenities; however, prices often lift again near small settlements where available services provide added appeal, particularly where deep-sea fishing opportunities are accessible nearby. Overall, the lifestyle category has decreased by just under 3%.
The effective rating revaluation date of 1 June 2025 has now passed, and any changes in the market since then will not be included in the new rating valuations. In many cases, this means a sale price achieved in the market today may differ from the new rating valuation set as at 1 June 2025.
The updated rating valuations are independently audited by the Office of the Valuer-General and must meet rigorous quality standards before the new rating valuations are certified. They are not designed to be used as market valuations for raising finance with banks or as insurance valuations.
New rating values were posted to property owners from 8 October 2025. If owners do not agree with their rating valuation, they have the right to object by 14 November 2025. For more information on rating valuations, visit www.qv.co.nz/about/about-rating-valuations/# or, to object to a new rating valuation, visit www.qv.co.nz/services/rating-valuations/object-rating/.
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Economy – Navigating the storm: lessons from monetary and fiscal policy during COVID-19 – Reserve Bank

Source: Reserve Bank of New Zealand

15 October 2025 – In a keynote address at the Citi Australia & New Zealand Investment Conference, Reserve Bank of New Zealand Chief Economist Paul Conway reflected on lessons learned from monetary and fiscal policy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr Conway emphasised that in normal times, monetary and fiscal policies can pursue their respective objectives, while maintaining economic stability. But in a crisis, the objectives of monetary and fiscal policies may align in an 'all hands on deck' effort to steady financial markets, economic activity, employment, and inflation.

“COVID-19 gave us a crash course on how monetary and fiscal policy can interact in times of extreme economic turbulence. It's important that we learn from that and carry these lessons forward to be ready for the next major shock. All crisis-era monetary and fiscal policies have their costs and benefits. The more we understand these, the better equipped we will be to successfully navigate the next crisis,” Mr Conway said.

New research released alongside the speech assesses the wider costs and benefits of Large-Scale Asset Purchases (LSAPs), which were the primary tool used to deliver additional monetary policy stimulus.

“Our work to date shows that LSAPs stabilised volatile financial markets and helped prevent inflation from undershooting the target midpoint,” Mr Conway said.

“By supporting broader economic activity, LSAPs also contributed to higher government tax revenue. Indeed, the additional government revenue generated by LSAPs largely offset their direct costs.”

Mr Conway added that “while certainly not perfect, LSAPs need to remain a key part of our additional policy toolkit for targeted interventions during financial and economic crisis when the Official Cash Rate has reached its lower limit.”

Mr Conway also highlighted that often there is not necessarily a single 'silver bullet' for managing crises. “Each shock is unique and a flexible, situation-specific mix of monetary and fiscal measures could well be essential.”

This highlights the importance of the monetary and fiscal authorities working alongside each other in an economic crisis. Importantly, this does not imply joint decision making. Even in a crisis, independent monetary policy is essential to keep inflation expectations anchored and central bank credibility intact.

“By carrying forward the lessons of the pandemic, we can ensure New Zealand remains prepared for whatever economic shock lies ahead,” Mr Conway concluded.

More information: