MIL Email Publisher (NZ)

Source: Reserve Bank of New Zealand

18 August 2026

We are seeking feedback on the issues we have identified with our
payments system, and the proposed areas of work needed to address these.

Assistant Governor Karen Silk says payment systems are core economic
infrastructure and enable everyday transactions across the economy.
Around $2 trillion of retail payments flow between New Zealand banks
annually. Given the scale of payments systems, even small improvements
in their efficiency can lift national productivity, enhance the global
competitiveness of local businesses, and strengthen our economic
resilience. Conversely, an outdated system can constrain economic
growth.

“New Zealand's retail payments system is operationally reliable, but is
outdated, and does not meet international best practice for modern,
faster retail payment systems. We have fallen behind global standards,
with outdated infrastructure, limited modern payment capabilities, and
insufficient innovation,” Ms Silk says.

The Minister of Finance has endorsed the Reserve Bank to lead the
delivery of a strategy for payments modernisation in New Zealand, in
coordination with key agencies and industry participants. This reflects
the close alignment between payment system outcomes and RBNZ's monetary
and financial stability mandates, settlement operations, and our wider
central bank policy interests.

We have set up 2 workstreams to progress payments modernisation:

* The first workstream will examine the technical requirements needed
to modernise payments infrastructure and will inform the development of
future options.
* A separate workstream focuses on reforming strategic leadership,
regulatory coordination and system governance, across the retail
payments system.

Key strategic questions include whether to continue pursuing incremental
reform or to undertake structural modernisation of the underlying
payments infrastructure to build long-term capability and strengthen
resilience.

A close working relationship with industry will be fundamental to the
success of this initiative, Ms Silk says.

“We cannot do this alone and, in partnership with other government
agencies, are committed to working closely with businesses, the payments
industry and other interested stakeholders to shape the future direction
for New Zealand's payments system and meet broader public interest
objectives.”

The Issues Paper consultation will be open for 10 weeks. Feedback is
welcomed from all those with an interest in the future of the payments
system until 27 October 2026.

“Following the Issues Paper consultation, we will analyse submissions
and provide Ministers with advice on options for future work and reform.
We expect this to be completed in the first half of next year,” Ms Silk
says.

A proposed roadmap and business case will be developed in addition to
the options paper. Proposed roles and responsibilities, and payments
modernisation policy options will be subject to a subsequent public
consultation as part of the policy development process, including cost
benefit analysis.

MORE INFORMATION

* Modernising New Zealand's retail payment system (PDF, 779 KB): https://www.rbnz.govt.nz/-/media/project/sites/rbnz/files/consultations/future-of-money/modernising-new-zealands-retail-payment-system.pdf
* Have your say on the future of payments: https://www.rbnz.govt.nz/money-and-cash/payments/have-your-say-on-the-future-of-payments

PAYMENTS MODERNISATION WEBINAR

We will be hosting a public webinar at 11am on Monday 24 August to
discuss our issues paper with RBNZ policy staff. Please let us know if
you are interested in attending by emailing Future of Money and
Payments.

Source: Rotokākahi Board of Control

14 August 2026

The High Court has found that Rotorua Lakes Council broke the law in the
way it pushed ahead with the Tarawera sewerage scheme past Rotokākahi, the
tapu ancestral lake of Tūhourangi and Tumatawera.

In a judgment delivered on 13 August 2026, the Court declared *two* Council
decisions unlawful: the decision to proceed with the scheme, and the later
decision to issue a section 87BB notice treating the works as a permitted
activity that needed no resource consent.

“These are serious findings against the Council,” says Rotokākahi Board of
Control chair Wally Lee. “We demand accountability and correction.”

The Court found the Council was required to engage directly with the Board
before it proceeded — and did not. The Council knew Rotokākahi is tapu, and
knew the Board had signalled “grave concern”, yet it never sought the
Board’s views on what the scheme would mean for the lake. The Court found
the Council proceeded on a wrong legal principle and failed to turn its
mind to the protections that applied, including from the Council’s own
planning documents for the Lakes A Zone which specified that a resource
consent was required for scheme’s earthworks. The Council’s decision to
proceed was unlawful.

On the section 87BB notice, the Court found the Council was wrong in law.
Its conclusion that the cultural effects of the earthworks were “less than
minor” was not one available on the evidence before it. The Council had
measured the wrong thing — the brief duration of the earthworks rather than
their cultural impact on a landscape our people regard as sacred.

The pipeline may now be in the ground, but completing the works does not
erase the unlawful decisions that allowed them to proceed, nor the
cultural, environmental and intergenerational consequences our people are
left to carry. The Court granted the declarations so that the Council will
“take notice and care” before undertaking future activities in the Lakes A
Zone.

When members of our community stood in opposition to these works, the
Council obtained a court injunction against them — pursued at ratepayers’
expense. The High Court has now found that what those protestors were
standing against was the Council’s own unlawful conduct. The Board is proud
to have stood alongside them, and we thank them for their courage and their
steadfast support in defence of Rotokākahi.

“For us, this is not the end,” says Mr Lee. “The Board is considering the
judgment and taking advice on further legal options. We are clear that
unlawful decisions affecting Māori-owned whenua and a tapu ancestral
landscape cannot be made without consequence.”

Te Whatanui Skipwith, of Protect Rotokākahi, says the ruling vindicates a
struggle of more than two years. “The High Court has now confirmed that our
concerns were justified. We stood then. We stand now. And we will continue
to stand for Rotokākahi.”

Key points

The High Court declared *two* Rotorua Lakes Council decisions unlawful: the
decision to proceed with the Tarawera sewerage scheme, and the decision to
issue a section 87BB notice treating the works as a permitted activity.

The Court found the Council was required to engage directly with the Board
before proceeding and failed to do so, despite knowing Rotokākahi is tapu
and that the Board held “grave concern”.

The Court found the Council’s conclusion that cultural effects were “less
than minor” was not available on the evidence, and that the Council applied
the wrong legal test.

Rotokākahi is Māori freehold land, governed by the Rotokākahi Board of
Control under the 1922 Te Arawa lakes settlement. It is tapu and of deep
significance to Tūhourangi and Tumatawera.

Citation: *Rotokākahi Board of Control v Rotorua District Council* [2026]
NZHC 2380 (13 August 2026).

Source: Peace Action Ōtautahi

17/08/2026

Activist group Peace Action Ōtautahi (PAŌ) is anticipating significant protest action at the National Aerospace Summit, held at Te Pae Convention Centre, Christchurch, on October 1st and 2nd, 2026. The group had organised the blockade of the 2025 summit, which saw 37 activists arrested outside the event.

PAŌ spokesperson Joseph Bray: “Building on the success of Peace Action Ōtautahi's 2025 aerospace blockade, activists from around the country will be descending once more on Te Pae Convention Centre to protest against this convention of weapons manufacturers and war profiteers.”

“We promise that this year's protest will be unavoidable for the aerospace industry” says Bray.

October 1 & 2, 2026

Te Pae Convention Centre, Christchurch.

Source: Save the Children

More than 8,000 children in Indonesia’s southernmost province of East Nusa Tenggara are facing safety risks and disruptions to their education after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck the island of Flores.

Around 50 people have died, although casualties are likely to rise, and thousands have been displaced following the earthquake.

While the full extent of the destruction is still unfolding, more than 900 homes were damaged by the quake and hundreds of aftershocks. Essential public infrastructure has also been affected, including 87 education facilities and 18 healthcare centres, disrupting services critical to children's well-being.

A second 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck off the country’s western island of Sumatra, underscoring Indonesia's vulnerability to seismic activity, being located on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”.

Agus-, 46, and his wife Euis-, 39, who are both visually impaired, told Save the Children how they raced to save their six-month-old son when the quake struck the highland town of Ruteng on Flores Island. The family lives at a special-needs school, where Euis works as a teacher.

Agus said:

“Once we reached the backyard, the shaking grew much stronger. At its peak, I couldn't even stand up. I held onto my child, my wife, and my mother-in-law. My wife couldn't hold onto me tightly because she had to hold the baby. So I spread my feet wide and tried my best to wrap my arms around all of them. We managed to hold that position for about a minute because the quake was so violent.”

Save the Children is assessing the needs of affected children and families in East Nusa Tenggara with a local partner organisation in order to launch a response. The earthquake struck against a backdrop of existing challenges, including an El Niño-driven drought and ongoing volcanic risks linked to Mount Lewotobi. The cumulative impact of these successive disasters threatens children’s health, protection, education and psychosocial well-being.

Fadli Usman, Humanitarian and Resilience Director at Save the Children Indonesia, said:

“This deadly earthquake has caused a lot of pain and damage, while exacerbating existing vulnerabilities caused by recurrent disasters in Flores. Children are among the most at risk. Protecting their well-being and future requires more than addressing their immediate needs; it requires sustained investment in recovery and resilience. Together with our local partner organisation, CIS Timor, we are working towards supporting affected children and families.”

Immediate priorities include ensuring children have access to education and supporting the livelihoods of families in order to prevent loss of learning, malnutrition, child labour, early marriage and other protection risks, added Usman.

Alongside life-saving support, Save the Children said that equal priority must be given to restoring essential services, strengthening family and community resilience, and creating opportunities for children to recover from the earthquake.

Save the Children has been working in Indonesia since 1976, responding to major humanitarian disasters like the 2004 tsunami and the 2018 Sulawesi earthquake.

-Names changed to protect identity.

Background

Figures are based on data from the government and the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB).

About Save the Children NZ:

Save the Children works in 120 countries across the world. The organisation responds to emergencies and works with children and their communities to ensure they survive, learn and are protected.

Save the Children NZ currently supports international programmes in Fiji, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Laos, Nepal, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. Areas of work include child protection, education and literacy, disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation, and alleviating child poverty.

Source: World Vision

World Vision has launched an emergency response following a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck off the coast of Indonesia’s Flores Island over the weekend.

At least 50 people have been confirmed dead, thousands of children and their families have been displaced, and strong aftershocks continue to affect communities across the island.

Fatalities have been reported across East Nusa Tenggara Province where the earthquake struck at a depth of about 15km.

Search and Rescue teams are continuing efforts to reach survivors, but have been hampered by multiple aftershocks, several measuring above magnitude 5.

Isolated communities have been cut off by landslides and damaged roads, and authorities are still working to determine the full scale of the disaster.

World Vision Indonesia’s Disaster Management Manager, Fransisco Fernando, says children and families are facing days, weeks and months of fear and uncertainty.

“Our hearts go out to all those who have lost loved ones, homes and livelihoods in this devastating earthquake.

“We are particularly concerned for children. Many have experienced terrifying shaking, rushed evacuations and the loss of the places where they normally feel safe. Experiences like these can have a profound impact on a child's sense of safety and wellbeing.”

Fernando says as the aftershocks continue, rescue efforts are racing against time to reach isolated communities.

“Thousands of people are displaced and there is widespread damage to schools, homes and health facilities.

“World Vision is in the region right now distributing shelter kits so affected children and families who have been left homeless have some temporary shelter,” he says.

The children’s charity will truck clean water to isolated villages this week so that villages have access to safe water.

Fernando says while search and rescue efforts remain the immediate priority, it is also critical that there is a focus on children’s long-term needs.

“It’s vital that children have access to protection, psychosocial support and the basic assistance they need to recover.

“We’re very worried that the earthquake may further exacerbate pre-existing vulnerabilities across Flores, including water scarcity, food insecurity, malnutrition, and mental health and child protection concerns.

“Continued El Niño conditions will also heighten the risk of crop failure, further worsening household food insecurity,” he says.

New Zealanders can help children and families affected by the earthquake: www.worldvision.org.nz (http://www.worldvision.org.nz)

Source: IHC New Zealand

Research by IHC shows that New Zealanders with intellectual disabilities want to work and can work but are shut out of employment opportunities.

A new report, Untapped Potential: The Employment Reality for People with Intellectual Disability (https://www.ihc.org.nz/get-involved/advocacy/untapped-potential-the-employment-reality), combines national employment, tax, and survey data with the lived experiences of people with intellectual disabilities and their families. While the report reveals a stark picture of employment discrimination and income inequity, it also provides practical solutions to help thousands more people into meaningful work.

The research shows employment has a profound impact on people with intellectual disabilities, providing identity, belonging, and pride and is linked to better health and wellbeing outcomes, as well as greater social connection, improved confidence, and stronger financial security.

Those benefits are experienced by only a small percentage of the intellectually disabled community. Just 26 percent of working-age people with intellectual disabilities are in paid employment, compared with 80 percent of people without intellectual disabilities. Of the people with intellectual disabilities who do work, almost 60 percent are paid less than the minimum wage.

IHC Senior Advocate Shara Turner says the report’s findings show people with intellectual disabilities are being failed by systems that should support them into employment.

“People with intellectual disabilities are not excluded from employment because they lack ability; they are excluded because our employment market is not inclusive.”

The report identifies changes needed to improve employment outcomes, such as better school-to-work transitions, tailored employment support, education and support for workplaces to make accommodations, more inclusive employer practices, and policy settings that encourage workforce participation.

Shara says improving employment outcomes would benefit not only people with intellectual disabilities, but also employers, communities and the wider economy.

“People with intellectual disabilities represent an enormous, untapped potential. Creating more inclusive workplaces is not charity. It's about opportunity, recognising the unique value people can bring when given the right support, and seeing the economic and social benefits from investing in people with intellectual disability. New Zealand cannot afford to overlook the skills, commitment and contribution that people with intellectual disabilities offer.”

Alice Matthews, who has an intellectual disability, was looking for work for about four years before Choices NZ helped her start in a receptionist job at IHC two years ago. Alice says employment has given her more independence and confidence.

“I love it. It has been one of the best things that’s ever happened in my life,” she says. “People have given me a chance that I never had before.”

IHC will use the report findings to call on government, employers and the community to work together to create solutions that better support people with intellectual disabilities to find and keep meaningful work.

Key report findings

• Only 26% of working-age people with intellectual disabilities are in paid employment, compared with 80% of people without intellectual disabilities.

• People with intellectual disabilities are more likely to be in part-time, insecure and informal employment arrangements.

• More than half earn less than $25 per hour and nearly one in five earn below the minimum wage.

• People with intellectual disabilities are more vulnerable to job loss during economic downturns.

• During Covid-19 targeted government intervention mitigated employment vulnerabilities and protected employment for people with intellectual disabilities.

• Employment is associated with better wellbeing, health, belonging and financial independence.

Read the report in full, plain language or Easy Read here. (https://www.ihc.org.nz/get-involved/advocacy/untapped-potential-the-employment-reality)