The Zero Waste Network is expanding to become Zero Waste Aotearoa so we can better achieve our goal of building a waste free future together.
Our updated name reflects the evolving scope of our work. We've gone from being a small group of committed people twenty years ago, to a nationwide network of 130+ member organisations employing thousands, to today when we are increasing our own business and project capability and advancing high-level advocacy work locally, nationally and internationally.
“We are acutely aware that Aotearoa NZ is falling behind other similar countries in dealing with our waste. It's time to catch up. Across the globe, innovative waste reduction solutions are being put in place that are having immediate, dramatic and beneficial impacts on large waste streams. Our organisation will be creating and pushing for the kind of solutions that are wanted and needed,” said General Manager Dorte Wray.
“Globally, there is a strong movement among business, industry and government towards circular economic models that design out waste and pollution and keep valuable resources in use. Zero waste models offer significant community economic benefits, climate solutions and environmental protections.”
“One small example of the kind of solutions we want is the container return scheme. In Tasmania, 20 million containers have been returned just three months after it launched – that's an average of 220,000 containers every day as the community gets behind the initiative.”
“We believe that there is a fantastic opportunity to become a zero waste nation with the right leadership in place to drive the necessary change. We must have the right settings to achieve the outcomes we want. We have a whole world of good examples and ideas to draw upon, alongside brilliant indigenous solutions that are specific and appropriate for this land.”
“Our member organisations are delivering amazing benefits in communities up and down the country every day from Kaitaia to Invercargill. We are building community resilience, economic opportunities, dignified employment and environmental care. We can have a zero waste Aotearoa with beneficial outcomes for all.”
Join us for our annual hui in Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland where we will celebrate 25 years of building a waste free future together. Tickets are still available for a fantastic three-day event, visit https://hui.zerowaste.co.nz/ for further information.
Stand-alone houses lead annual rise in home consents – media release
1 August 2025
There were 33,979 new homes consented in Aotearoa New Zealand in the year ended June 2025, up 1.0 percent compared with the year ended June 2024, according to figures released by Stats NZ today.
“This is the first time in two years that we have recorded annual growth in the number of new homes consented,” economic indicators spokesperson Michelle Feyen said.
The lift was largely due to a 6.3 percent rise in stand-alone house consents, reaching 15,858.
In contrast, consents for multi-unit homes fell 3.2 percent to 18,121 in the year ended June 2025.
Multi-unit homes include townhouses, apartments, retirement village units, and flats.
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MinterEllisonRuddWatts is proud to have assisted Camco, a leading UK-based impact fund manager, with the establishment of an innovative blended finance fund called TIDES (Transforming Island Development through Electrification and Sustainability).
TIDES is an innovative fund aiming to help unlock USD100 million of public and private sector finance to support renewable energy developments in the Pacific Islands. The fund has received contributions from the New Zealand and UK governments in the form of first loss equity.
This first-of-its-kind fund for the region is designed to deliver deep impact by strengthening the renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors. It will provide flexible financing to local renewable energy developers behind zero-emissions projects across a full range of sizes, from mini-grids to large grid-connected systems.
PartnerLloyd Kavanaghand Senior AssociateKen Ngattended the signing ceremony of TIDES at the British High Commission in Wellington yesterday, alongside Minister for Climate Change, the Honourable Simon Watts, British High Commissioner HE Ms Iona Thomas OBE, and the Managing Director of Camco Management Limited, Geoff Sinclair.
Lloyd Kavanagh commented: “We are delighted to support Camco in launching the TIDES fund, a pioneering initiative that bl
Health Coalition Aotearoa (HCA) is proud to announce a new five-year partnership with Clare Foundation to address structural barriers to healthy food environments in South Auckland.
This strategic collaboration will help South Auckland communities reclaim agency over their local food systems by creating systems and policy change. Clare Foundation’s tagged funding will help HCA find policy and regulatory obstacles, strengthen the evidence base, and advocate for local and national solutions – so South Auckland can have a healthier food environment.
Alice Montague, CEO at Clare Foundation, says the opportunity to support the work of the Health Coalition Aotearoa was a natural fit with the goal to ignite lasting systems change in oral health.
“The impact of food and lifestyle choices on total wellbeing, especially on oral health, makes the work of the Unified Food Systems Strategy especially critical for communities where access to education, information and healthy options can make a meaningful difference for generations to come,” says Alice Montague of Clare Foundation.
The initiative is supported by co-funders Healthy Families South Auckland, University of Auckland School of Population Health Pacific Health, MAS Foundation and JR McKenzie Trust. Applied research will be led by Moana Connect, Toi Tangata, and Māngere-based community leaders and organisations – recognising the deep expertise communities already hold in food sovereignty and wellbeing.
“Communities in South Auckland are already doing the mahi to care for their people,” said Dr Lisa Te Morenga, Co-Chair of HCA. “This partnership ensures systems and policies do their part too.”
One clear example of structural inequity is the 10:1 ratio of fast-food to fresh food outlets in South Auckland. Such easy access to fast food (and difficult access to fresh food) is a key driver of diet-related diseases and poor oral health outcomes.
The partnership responds directly to the Public Health Advisory Committee’s 2023 Rebalancing Our Food System report, which recomm
Newly released Government documents reveal the lengths to which ministers went to avoid scrutiny and ignore official advice on their decision to gut the Equal Pay Act and cancel pay equity claims.
“These documents reveal that the Government did everything in its power to shut down public debate on pay equity in an effort to stop over 300,000 women from being paid what they’re worth,” said NZCTU Secretary Melissa Ansell-Bridges.
“Ramming the legislation through Parliament under urgency with no select committee process was bad enough, but it is now clear that the Government intentionally denied the public transparency and accountability in a highly orchestrated and underhanded campaign.
“Ministers went to extraordinary lengths to keep their plans secret and prevent workers from taking claims while they still had an avenue to do so.
“The documents also reveal that officials warned that the secretive and rushed process limited proper scrutiny of the policy and could lead to unintended consequences, but this advice was evidently ignored.
“Officials also noted that the changes retrospectively removed people’s rights and could be breaches of the Human Rights Act and Bill of Rights Act.
“Attempts to silence opposition have failed – women workers and their allies continue to rise up and demand the reversal of claim cancellations and will be coming together in an unprecedented Women’s Day of Action on September 20,” said Ansell-Bridges.
National stock levels drop by almost 2,000 listings for third consecutive month Around 60% of new listings on realestate.co.nz priced below the national average asking price
Latest data from realestate.co.nz shows a steady drain on housing stock is tightening the property pool for buyers across Aotearoa. Stock has fallen by almost 2,000 properties for the third month in a row to 30,430, a 0.4% decline on July last year.
Vanessa Williams, spokesperson for realestate.co.nz, says despite the seasonal slowdown, buyer demand remains steady, and opportunities are waiting for those ready to act.
“Although we’re seeing fewer homes coming onto the market, that doesn’t mean buyers have disappeared,” says Williams. “The real estate industry is telling us that vendors who are realistic with their price expectations are selling, and with less competition, it can actually be a smart time to list your property if you're ready.”
First home buyers in with a chance
During July, 58.5% of all properties listed on realestate.co.nz were under $850,000 – well clear of the national average asking price for July of $858,189. Williams says for first home buyers and investors, this represents a window of opportunity before the traditional spring surge.
“First home buyers have a prime opportunity to look at their options with a solid band of homes listed for under $850,000,” says Williams. “For buyers who have their finances in order and a clear idea of what they’re after, now is a great time to secure a foothold before competition heats up again.”
Price variation in the regions
The national average asking price was up 0.6% year-on-year and while this marks continued price stability, several regions showed a different story.
Asking prices in the West Coast rose 25.3% year-on-year, reaching $500,000 for the first time since January 2025. It is one of just three regions to record growth month-on-month and year-on-year alongside Nelson & Bays, which rose to $874,818 (up 2.6% YoY and 1.0% MoM), and Northland, which increased to $843,362 (up 9.8% YoY and 9.2% MoM).
In contrast, four regions saw declines both month-on-month and year-on-year, a notable drop from seven regions last month. These included:
Central Otago/Lakes District $1,437,577 – down 8.5% YoY and 2.3% MoM
Marlborough, $725,377 – down 13.6% YoY and 1.4% MoM
Wairarapa $711,778 – down 3.2% YoY and 1.5% MoM
Wellington $807,503 – down 3.0% YoY and 2.7% MoM.
“Nationally, prices are holding steady, but when you zoom in, the picture becomes more dynamic,” says Williams “We’re seeing some standout regional growth which is a clear reminder that every region has its own rhythm, and local conditions matter more than ever.”
Buyers encouraged to act while stock remains tight
Despite a decline in total stock there were pockets of the motu to buck the trend. Gisborne (up 35.5% with 123 properties listed) and the West Coast (up 20.6% with 316 properties listed) topped the leaderboard for year-on-year stock growth.
“We have just 31 days until spring, and traditionally we see a surge of properties come to the market at that time,” says Williams. “For buyers who are ready now, there’s a window of opportunity, especially with so many homes priced below the national average.”
New listings down year-on-year but realistic pricing gets results
While the total number of new listings nationally (7,737) was down 4.2% year-on-year, Northland, Gisborne, and Taranaki all showed year-on-year increases of 26.3%, 54.5%, and 34.3%, respectively.
Williams says while the number of new listings coming onto the market has slowed, vendors who align their price expectations with buyers are more likely to get their sale across the line.
“As spring approaches, our attention will turn to whether sellers come to the market in greater numbers and how buyers respond. For now, buyers remain active, and the market continues to reward those ready to move, but it will be interesting to see what happens in September as we move into the expected spring surge.”
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.
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.
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Market insights: Search by suburb to see median sale prices, popular property types and tr
The appalling and deliberate behaviour of key Ministers, operating in secret, to rip up pay equity rules and stop thousands of women getting the pay rise they deserve has been exposed by the document dump of official advice.
“We knew it was constitutional vandalism and wage theft, now we know the Government actively suppressed human rights and went to extraordinary lengths to hush it up in the Beehive,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
“This was a treacherous betrayal from the get-go – conceived in secret, rushed through in indecent haste without consultation – all to save money at the expense of women – shame on the Government.
“The official papers spell out a deliberate campaign of secrecy – a clear plan to do this under urgency without consulting the very people impacted by their decisions.
“They knew they were riding roughshod over democracy, and they knew ripping up the rules violated basic human rights protected under the Bill or Rights. But they didn’t care.
“This was a carefully orchestrated, deceitful, and anti-democratic plan to deprive women of the pay they deserve.
“The Government will be hearing the voices of women loud and clear on this betrayal every day until election day when it must be punished for this appalling wage theft.”
The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahiis Aotearoa New Zealand's largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.
Federated Farmers is deeply concerned by a proposal to shut down rural police stations across Canterbury, calling it a major blow to the safety and wellbeing of farming families.
According to The Press, Canterbury Police intend to reduce personnel at a number of rural stations and disestablish some roles in favour of larger 24/7 hubs based in Rolleston and Rangiora.
Bex Green, North Canterbury Federated Farmers president, says the plan has left rural communities reeling.
“This is not good enough – our community is extremely angry and disappointed about what’s being proposed.
“Farming families rely on local police stations to feel safe and supported. Closing them down s
Earth Sciences New Zealand (formerly NIWA) SeasonalOutlook Climate August to October 2025suggests warm, damp weather, with La Niña’s possible return
Parts of New Zealand are likely to experience more wet, warm weather over the next three-month period, with shifting ocean conditions hinting at a possible return to La Niña by the end of the year, according to the latest Earth Sciences New Zealand (formerly NIWA) Seasonal Climate Outlook for August to October 2025.
More frequent northeasterly to easterly air flows are expected over the next three months as winter turns into spring, says meteorologist Chris Brandolino, principal scientist at Earth Sciences New Zealand. “The likelihood of tropical and subtropical systems influencing New Zealand remains elevated, and this is associated with an increased risk of heavy rainfall events, including those linked to atmospheric rivers, and flooding.”
Above normal rainfall is expected in the north and east of the North Island. “These anticipated rainfall patterns are driven by circulation anomalies that heighten the risk of heavy rainfall events in the north and east of the North Island. Conversely, a shift toward more persistent easterly flow anomalies is expected as the season progresses, increasing the likelihood of dry conditions in the southwest of the South Island.”
Above average seasonal air temperatures are expected across most of the country, except the east of the South Island, for which above average or near average temperatures are about equally likely, says Brandolino. “Cold snaps and frosts may still occur, but less often than usual.”
Soil moisture levels and river flows are expected to be near normal in the north and west of the North Island, and near normal or below normal in the east of the North Island. Near normal or above normal soil moisture levels and river flows are forecast for the South Island.
While conditions in the tropical Pacific remain officially ENSO-neutral, oceanic tr
The greyhound racing industry has ended its 2024/25 season with yet another dog killed – bringing the season’s death toll to 17; the deadliest year for greyhounds since 2021.
The final fatality was Opawa Justin, a two-year-old greyhound who won his race at Addington Raceway in Christchurch on 31 July before suffering a catastrophic injury. He fell at the lure and fractured his left elbow. Veterinarians determined the injury was too severe to treat, and he was euthanised.
SAFE says the circumstances surrounding his death expose the brutal nature of racing, where even a winning dog isn’t safe.
“This young dog gave everything on the track, and it cost him his life. No matter how fast they run or how many races they win, greyhounds are always one fall away from tragedy,” says Campaign Manager Emma Brodie.
The total number of dogs killed has increased compared to last season, rising from 13 to 17. Over the course of the season, more than 800 dogs suffered race-related injuries, including 114 broken bones. SAFE says the scale of harm is staggering – and disturbingly routine.
“The death toll is going up, not down. If anything proves the failure of self-regulation, this is it,” says Brodie.
The Government was right to call time on this industry, and the rising body count only reinforces that.”
Racing Minister Winston Peters announced a phase-out of the industry in December 2024, with a full ban to come into effect by July 2026. The next season will be greyhound racing’s last.
SAFE is urging GRNZ to take immediate steps to slow the pace of racing and pour every resource into rehoming efforts.
“This is GRNZ’s last opportunity to show they care about the dogs they’ve profited from. They can either wind down with dignity or be remembered for prolonging suffering until the very end.”
