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Visitor spending in New Zealand boosts services exports – International trade: March 2026 quarter – Stats NZ news story and information release
Real Estate – Multigenerational luxury living on the rise – Sotherby’s
Source: New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty
Demand to cohabitate with extended family is on the rise in New Zealand, even at the top end of the property market.
New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty (NZSIR) managing director Mark Harris says more wealthy buyers, family offices and Active Investor Plus visa holders are looking for properties that can accommodate multiple generations. This echoes the sentiment from a recent Building Research Association of New Zealand (BRANZ) report, which confirms that demand for multigenerational living in NZ is increasing.
“There has been a notable pick up in digital and physical enquiry from purchasers at the high end of the market who are looking at properties from an intergenerational perspective,” Harris says. “Quite often, this comes in the form of the senior family unit principals searching for options that are built and ready to be used, or land that’s big enough to build a multi-unit residency.
“Baby boomers are looking to purchase properties that have the ability to accommodate their mature-age children and grandchildren, mainly for lifestyle purposes and next-generational investment succession. AIP buyers are also interested in the ‘safe haven’ aspects of NZ property – some of them are looking at holiday homes, but with a long-term, full-time residency perspective.”
Whilst traditionally, intergenerational living has been driven by cultural or religious values, or sharing living costs, it’s now becoming a lifestyle choice, particularly for buyers at the luxury end of the market.
“Properties with self-contained wings or apartments, or upstairs-downstairs separation are in demand; properties with space, privacy, seclusion, a high level of build quality and access to airports,” Harris says. “Premium wellness amenities are also high on the wish-list, such as inbuilt gyms, pools, saunas and other lifestyle attributes. Some buyers require the ability to build safe houses or bunkers.”
The Urban Advisory managing director Dr Natalie Allen – a lead researcher for the BRANZ Multigenerational Housing report – agrees that multigenerational housing demand is increasing in NZ.
“The New Zealand Housing Survey data shows that there is a broad appetite for multigenerational housing, with around one in 10 households saying they would prefer to live multigenerationally in their next home,” she says. “Our BRANZ‑funded research shows the challenge isn’t demand, but a system that hasn’t yet enabled the market to respond.”
Harris says Northland, Auckland, Waiheke Island and the Southern Lakes are the most in-demand locations for multigenerational luxury living, with interest also in the Nelson-Tasman region. A few of NZSIR’s current listing examples are in Kerikeri, Waiheke Island, Auckland and Queenstown.
“There's a clear and growing trend of property being held and treated as a family heirloom rather than a liquid asset,” he says. “The property becomes a gathering point: somewhere all generations can use, return to, and eventually inherit as a shared legacy.”
About New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty
New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty is a specialist agency that focuses on the sale of premium property through quality marketing and global networking. Founded in 2005 by Mark Harris and Julian Brown, the NZ branch of the global company has 28 offices nationwide – Northland, Auckland Britomart, Auckland North Shore, Auckland Remuera, Auckland South East, Waiheke Island, Hamilton, Cambridge, Rotorua, Taupō, Napier, Ahuriri, Havelock North, Palmerston North, Masterton, Greytown, Kapiti, Wellington, Hutt Valley, Nelson, Marlborough, Wānaka, Arrowtown and its head office in Queenstown. It is part of Sotheby’s International Realty – the world’s leading luxury real estate company – with a global network of approximately 1,110 offices and more than 26,100 affiliated independent sales associates throughout 84 countries and territories. It is through this unparalleled luxury network that NZSIR is able to access and market properties on an international level. In 2022/2023 NZSIR was named Best International Real Estate Agency Asia Pacific (5-20 offices) at the International Property Awards and also won Best Property Agency/Consultancy New Zealand at the 2025 International Property Awards for the Asia Pacific region.
www.nzsothebysrealty.com
Employment and Law – PSA takes legal action to stop secure jobs turning into insecure work
Source: PSA statement follows:
– Kāinga Ora failed to consult workers on plan to centralise maintenance operations
– Putting full time workers onto fixed term contracts clear breach of law
The PSA has filed legal proceedings in the Employment Relations Authority to stop Kāinga Ora sacking workers in its maintenance operations division and rehiring many of them on fixed-term contracts in breach of its collective agreement.
Kāinga Ora is proposing to cut maintenance staff in regional offices across the country and centralise them in Auckland and Christchurch. This would mean a net loss of 46 permanent roles with 36 temporary fixed-term positions expiring at various dates in 2026 and 2027 offered to staff.
“Kāinga Ora has ridden roughshod over workers’ legal rights. The collective agreement is crystal clear: all change must go through the agreed change management process with proper consultation. Kāinga Ora ignored that obligation entirely,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
Maintenance supervisors and administrators in more than 40 regional offices could lose their jobs, with only those in Auckland and Christchurch retained and many existing workers would have to apply for fixed term roles. Workers who have provided years of loyal service would lose their job security overnight and Kainga Ora would not get the benefit of their insights into what the proposed change would mean in reality.
“Kāinga Ora ran pilot programmes and proof of concept trials in Auckland that changed its organisational structure without ever consulting workers or the PSA as required under the collective agreement. It’s now relying on those pilots to justify the restructure. Workers have been presented with a fait accompli based on decisions they were unlawfully shut out of.
“On top of that, Kāinga Ora wants to sack permanent workers and rehire many of them on temporary contracts doing the same work.
“Kāinga Ora says the fixed terms are needed because it hasn’t decided what it wants to do yet. That’s not a lawful reason for a fixed-term agreement under the Employment Relations Act. You can’t fire people and park them on temporary contracts while you make up your mind about their future.
“Fundamentally, we believe the proposal is flawed, there are better ways to deliver improvements to this critical service, but Kāinga Ora chose to ignore the views of those on ground who know how best to quickly and effectively look after the maintenance needs of tenants.”
The PSA is asking the Authority to halt the restructure, determine that the proposal breaches the collective agreement and the Employment Relations Act, and order Kāinga Ora to remove the unlawful fixed-term arrangements and consult properly.
“This is now a pattern. Government agencies are treating collective agreements as optional and workers’ rights as an inconvenience. Earlier this year the ERA ruled that FENZ broke the law by failing to consult on its restructure. MBIE backed down on its unlawful flexible working policy the day before a hearing, after wasting more than $100,000 of taxpayers’ money on outside lawyers defending its weak position.
“The PSA will oppose these bad decisions at every step. We have taken on government agencies that have tried to turn a blind eye to clear obligations in collective agreements and won. Kāinga Ora should take note.”
A hearing before the Employment Relations Authority is set down for 21, 22 July.
Previous Kāinga Ora statements – more than a thousand workers have already lost their jobs as the Government guts the social housing agency.
8 May 2026 Government proposes more job cuts at Kāinga Ora – tenants and workers in regions pay the price
Related PSA legal actions
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 boards and community groups.
Mindful Investing: Unique New Zealand initiative starts up in Australia
Source: Mindful Money
Strewth! Australians are surprised to find out where their super is invested: New research shows a large gap between public expectations and investment patterns.
The New Zealand charity, Mindful Money today released a new report in Australia revealing that billions of dollars of Australians’ superannuation is invested in industries linked to issues of public concern. This report, under the brand of Mindful Investing, summarises data from a pilot project, analysing the portfolios of 15 large super funds with Funds under Management of A$2.1trillion.
Barry Coates, Mindful Money Founder and Co-CEO explained: “This move into Australia comes after years of Australians asking us to provide transparency along the same lines as we do in New Zealand. We are particularly proud to be offering this information for free to the Australian public. Everyone should be informed about where their investment money goes.”
The report also draws on new research conducted by Lonergan Research on Australians’ attitudes to superannuation which found that 84% of respondents expect their super fund provider to invest ethically/responsibly. In a similar pattern to New Zealand, Australians want to avoid investing in issues such as fossil fuels (69%), human rights violations (87%), and environmental damage (85%).
Yet Mindful Investing’s analysis found that super fund managers have significant investments in the issues that Australians want to avoid. The listed equity and fixed income portfolio holdings of 31 MySuper and sustainable investment options from 15 major super fund providers have over 10% of their portfolio in those issues.
Mindful Money Co-CEO Barry Coates commented: “There is a significant gap between the expectations of everyday Australians and the reality of where their super fund is invested. We have seen this gap diminish in New Zealand, at least partly as a result of portfolio transparency. We hope that this analysis will inform and empower Australian investors and persuade fund managers in Australia to raise their ethical standards.”
The stakes are high. When scaled across the entire superannuation system, the findings suggest up to $450 billion could be invested in companies found to be linked to issues of concern, including human rights violations, animal cruelty, environmental damage, weapons, social harm and fossil fuels. These flows of capital are globally significant. The Australian superannuation sector is projected to soon be the second largest in the world behind only the US.
Mindful Money’s Co-CEO, Kate Vennell concluded: “The Australian super funds are foundations for the public’s wealth and retirement income, important for the local and national economy, and influential across global capital markets. A switch of their investment choices away from companies that contribute to harm towards climate solutions, sustainability and social inclusion could make a huge difference.”
Notes:
Mindful Investing’s report Inside Australia’s Superfunds: An ethical review of investment can be accessed atwww.mindfulinvesting.au.
Mindful Investing is a programme of the New Zealand charity, Mindful Money, which provides portfolio disclosure on more than 400 KiwiSaver funds, the superannuation equivalent and around 600 managed investment funds, updated in December and June each year.
The methodology used in Australia draws from seven years ofMIndful Money’s methodology development in New Zealand.
Mindful Investing is a small Kiwi charity that has made a big step into Australia with this pilot project. We aim to extend the range of super funds analysed, undertake two updates per year, build a large base of informed investors and work constructively with super funds to raise ethical standards.
Climate Policies – Governments falling 90 percent short of climate adaptation finance needs, Oxfam warns ahead of Bonn climate talks
Source: Oxfam Aotearoa
Governments are falling 90 percent short of adaptation finance targets and leaving people in climate-vulnerable communities drastically under-equipped to cope with the devastating impacts of climate change, Oxfam warns ahead of Bonn climate talks (8-18 June).
According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), as of 2024, governments mobilized $32 billion in public adaptation finance – around 90 percent short of the $310 billion to $365 billion projected needs for developing countries by 2035. To bridge this gap, rich countries would have to increase their adaptation financing tenfold.
“The New Zealand Government has failed to renew our climate finance commitment that ended in 2025. This is depriving our neighbours in the Pacific of at least $100 million every year,” said Nick Henry, Oxfam Aotearoa’s Advocacy and Policy Lead.
“While climate impacts on communities in the Pacific are accelerating, our Government is falling behind on our fair share of support for our neighbours.
“Oxfam Aotearoa calls on our Government and all political parties to commit to funding our fair share of climate adaptation needs for our Pacific neighbours.”
The total climate finance of $137 billion reached in 2024 is also just a fraction of what countries need to transition away from fossil fuels.
This shortfall highlights a stark global inequality, that those who have done the least to cause the climate crisis are being hit by the heaviest damage and short-changed from the funding promised to help them deal with it. People living across the Global South, women, girls and Indigenous groups are overwhelmingly bearing the costs of environmental devastation.
Meanwhile, super-rich corporations and individuals – largely based in the Global North – have seen their wealth skyrocket.
The profits of the six biggest fossil fuel corporations are projected to hit $94 billion in 2026, continuing to attract mega-investors. Almost 60 percent of billionaire investments are classified as being in high climate impact sectors, such as mining or oil and gas corporations.
“For too long, governments have coddled a super-rich elite whose huge emissions and dirty investments in polluting industries are throttling climate action. At Bonn, leaders must tackle this unequal concentration of wealth and power. It’s time to make rich polluters pay, and channel that wealth into accessible, participatory climate finance in a way that reaches the communities who need it most,” said Mariana Paoli, Oxfam International’s Climate Lead.
Recent polling commissioned by Oxfam across seven countries found that approximately two-thirds (68 percent) of the public support increasing taxes on the profits of large oil and gas corporations to help fund a fair transition to renewable energy.
Oxfam urges governments to:
- Slash the emissions of the super-rich and make the richest polluters pay, through taxation on extreme wealth, excess profits taxes on fossil fuel corporations, and a carbon capital levy on investments in polluting sectors.
- Remove the financial barriers blocking a Just Transition by cancelling debt, phasing out fossil fuel subsidies and overhauling a financial architecture systemically skewed against Global South countries.
- Substantially increase climate finance to support communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis. This means fulfilling the $300 billion annual target agreed at COP29, including tripling funding flows specifically for adaptation, and substantially increasing resources to address loss and damage.
Notes
According to the OECD, in 2024, wealthy countries mobilized $137 billion in total climate finance to support climate action in low- and middle-income countries. Of this, $102 billion came in the form of public finance, mostly as loans. Public finance for adaptation amounted to $32 billion.
The UNEP Adaptation Gap Report 2025 calculates that the cost of adaptation finance needed in low- and middle-income countries is $310 billion per year in 2035, when based on modelled costs. When based on extrapolated needs expressed in Nationally Determined Contributions and National Adaptation Plans, this figure rises to $365 billion a year.
Oxfam research finds that six of the biggest fossil fuel companies (Chevron, Shell, BP, ConocoPhillips, Exxon and TotalEnergies) are projected to earn $2,967 a second in profits in 2026. Download the methodology note.
Download “Climate Plunder: How a powerful few are locking the world into disaster”, the executive summary and the methodology note. The report is also available in Spanish, French and Portuguese.
The global poll, conducted by market research company Norstat in April 2026, gathered responses from people in seven countries (UK, France, Brazil, Turkey, Australia, the Netherlands and Colombia). The polling also showed that support for taxing oil and gas corporations to fund the renewable energy transition crossed party lines. In six of the countries, there were more far-right respondents who supported such a tax, than those who opposed it.
Take precautions for sunstrike, Transporting New Zealand warns
Source: Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand
With New Zealand now in the winter season, Transporting New Zealand is warning drivers to take extra precautions to address the risk of sunstrike.
“With the sun low in the sky at this time of year, drivers are at risk of being blinded by the sun, especially when driving during sunrise and sunset,” says Transporting New Zealand Policy and Advocacy Advisor Mark Stockdale.
“Sadly there have been 15 fatal crashes and hundreds of injury crashes in the last 5 years which have been attributed to sunstrike, often occurring at the start or the end of the day when the sun is the lowest in the sky.
“One of the best ways to deal with sunstrike is to wear polarised sunglasses, which cut the glare and improve visibility. Also keep your windscreen clean, both inside and out, to minimise glare, and use the sun visor. If visibility is reduced, slow down and increase your following distance, and turn your headlights on so other road users can see you better. But if the glare is too severe, it’s safest to pull over until you can see clearly,” Stockdale adds.
Consumer NZ says no energy retailer deserves People’s Choice accolade
Source: Consumer NZ
For the first time in over a decade, Consumer NZ has decided not to award an annual People’s Choice accolade to any energy retailer.
The People’s Choice award recognises businesses that do right by their customers and earn high customer satisfaction scores in Consumer’s surveys.
“This year, no retailer met the threshold of having both highly satisfied customers and our backing that they are doing a stellar job of looking after their customer base,” says Jessica Walker, campaigns manager.
Consumer NZ says that the number of energy customers who class themselves as very satisfied has been on a steady decline for the last three years – which is at odds with the other sectors it tracks.
“Customer satisfaction is rising across other sectors – including KiwiSaver, internet service providers and even insurance.”
The price of power is a problem
The cost of energy is a key concern for more than half of New Zealand households.
“We have seen a rise in the number of people saying they are very concerned about the cost of energy. That’s now climbed to 34% of New Zealanders”, says Walker.
Consumer’s surveying has found that the majority of New Zealanders see energy profits as excessive, their bills as unfair and the recently announced half-year profits for gentailers (companies that both generate and sell electricity) as unjustifiable.
“The areas people are most dissatisfied with are value for money from their energy retailer, and a lack of competitive pricing,” says Walker.
Mercury satisfaction scores were significantly below average in four categories tracked by Consumer’s annual energy retailer survey – value for money, competitive pricing, helping you save energy and helping you select an appropriate plan.
“This is particularly concerning given Mercury has the highest market share.”
Switch to save – Over the past two years, power prices have gone up for all households. However, the price increases vary by region, plan type and retail brand too.
Almost 40% of New Zealanders think all energy providers charge about the same – but this is not true, Consumer says.
“There are savings available to people who shop around for power.
“People who use our free Powerswitch website save an average of $450 a year. We recommend people check to see what they could save by switching power plans or providers before the big winter bills hit.
“With satisfaction falling and power bills rising, there has never been a better time to test the market. Vote with your feet, shop around and see what you could save.”
About Consumer
Consumer NZ is an independent, non-profit organisation dedicated to championing and empowering consumers in Aotearoa. Consumer NZ has a reputation for being fair, impartial and providing comprehensive consumer information and advice.
Property Market – Fuel pressure eases but construction costs keep building – QV
Source: Quality Valuation (QV)
Residential construction costs have continued to edge upward, despite lower diesel prices.
QV CostBuilder’s latest update captures more than 11,400 material price movements across six main centres, including Auckland, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.
It shows that diesel prices fell by 18.9% between the end of April and May, easing pressure on fuel-intensive areas of construction.
However, costs have still risen overall, with the average building cost per square metre for residential buildings increasing by 1.6% in the three months to the end of May 2026 and by 2.4% annually.
QV CostBuilder spokesperson and quantity surveyor Martin Bisset said diesel prices had not fallen enough to offset price rises elsewhere.
“The reduction in diesel prices has provided some much-needed relief for fuel-intensive areas of work, but it hasn’t been enough to stop residential construction costs from rising overall,” he said.
“The steep price of fuel has obviously been the most pressing issue in recent months. We’ve seen some of that pressure ease now, but diesel is still significantly higher than it was earlier this year and so it remains highly relevant and highly volatile.”
As a result, the excavation and piling trades recorded falls last month – down 5.1% and 0.9% respectively, largely due to the reduction in diesel prices.
At the same time, a range of commonly used building materials moved in the opposite direction, including garage doors (2.5%), framing timber (3%), ready mix concrete (4.1%), fibre cement cladding (4.8%), cedar cladding (21%), PVC pressure pipework (18.8%), PVC drain, waste and vent pipework (21.6%), and polyethylene pipework (25%).
“The broader picture is still one of modest cost growth overall. Some costs have come back, but materials such as concrete, timber, cladding and pipework are still moving higher,” Mr Bisset said.
“Construction cost inflation is not running away right now, but it is still present. Anyone planning a build should allow for some movement in costs. Even modest increases can make a difference over the life of a project.”
Meanwhile, the average building cost per square metre for non-residential buildings – excluding educational buildings – has increased by 1% this quarter and by 1.8% annually.
QV CostBuilder is an online building cost platform that covers everything from building costs per square metre for warehouses, schools and office buildings, to the retail supply cost of more than 8,000 items, labour rates, labour constants, and more.
Visit QV CostBuilder at costbuilder.qv.co.nz.
Law Issues – Police double standard on Palestine – PSNA
Source: Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA)
PSNA is demanding police charge a pro-Israel tyre slasher, after he slashed two tyres on a Palestine supporter’s car in Raglan during a pro-Palestine protest in mid April.
Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa says Police told the victim they will not charge the Auckland businessman saying he has admitted he did it, apologised and has agreed to pay for the damage.
PSNA Campaign Co-ordinator John Minto says the Police say the tyre slasher has no criminal record and the victim has never been a victim before so it doesn’t reach the threshold for prosecution.
“Police have told the complainant they can’t prosecute because it doesn’t meet the Solicitor General’s guidelines for doing so.”
“We are flabbergasted at the double standard. Five of our supporters in Christchurch were charged with wilful damage last year after placing small stickers onto the window of a central city business”.
“One of these people appears in court tomorrow in Christchurch to face police charges of wilful damage”
“Since when is slashing tyres given a free pass but putting stickers on a window demands prosecution?” says Minto.
“A large PSNA delegation met with senior police in Wellington earlier this year to discuss what we have seen as an obvious police bias in going softly on pro-Israel physical violence and property damage while taking heavy-handed action at the mildest protests against the genocide in Gaza.
“The police denied any bias in their policing, but this tyre-slasher case underlines the shocking prejudice at some police levels.”
“They are taking their blatantly prejudiced approach from similar outrageous police responses to protests in Australia and the UK.”
“Letting off this tyre slasher just adds to the litany of complaints of systemic police prejudice against Palestinians and Palestine supporters in New Zealand.”
“If the situation were reversed and a pro-Israel supporter had their tyres slashed the police, media and politicians would be in a frenzy claiming it as a violent, anti-semitic attack which endangered Jewish lives”
“We have written to the Police Commissioner Richard Chambers to demand prosecution of the tyre slasher.”
John Minto
National Campaign Co-ordinator
PSNA
Background
The well-known Auckland businessman had approached two women who had arrived in Raglan carrying Palestinian flags for a protest and offered money to them to fly an Israeli flag instead. They declined and joined the protest. Returning to their car an hour later they found one of the tyres was flat and had been slashed. The following day a second tyre was found flat – both tyres had to be replaced.
If the second tyre had blown out during the drive back from Raglan to Hamilton the situation could have been much worse.
The victim lodged a complaint with police and then using CCTV footage from the local supermarket was able to identify the person responsible from the company name on the car of the offender. The victim’s husband contacted the man through social media and after initial denials he phoned the victim’s husband and admitted responsibility and offered to pay for the damage once he was sent images from the CCTV cameras.
All this information was passed to police who last week contacted the complainant to say they would not be prosecuting the man.