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Health – HIV diagnosis continue to decline but elimination will require bold action

Source: Burnett Foundation Aotearoa

New figures show HIV diagnoses in Aotearoa New Zealand continue to decline, marking real progress toward ending local HIV transmission – but health leaders warn this progress is not being shared equally, and that expanded testing is urgently needed to prevent new infections being missed.
Data released today by the University of Otago HIV Epidemiology Group shows 80 people were first diagnosed with HIV in Aotearoa New Zealand in 2025, down from 99 the year before (19% decline), and continuing a long-term downward trend. Crucially, the number of people who both acquired and were diagnosed HIV in New Zealand decreased to 47, from 61 in 2024.
“This is real progress, and it shows that prevention, testing and treatment are working,” says Liz Gibbs, Chief Executive of Burnett Foundation Aotearoa. “Fewer diagnosis each year are a reflection of decades of science, advocacy, community leadership, and investment in testing, treatment and the wide availability of prevention tools like PrEP, working in concert towards a goal of HIV elimination.”
However, it’s not all good news, 47% of diagnosis are being diagnosed late, and Māori diagnoses continue to remain disproportionately high.
“In 2025 alone, one in three men who have sex with men (MSM) diagnosed with HIV were Māori,” says Gibbs. “And with almost half of all cases being diagnosed late, it shows that we need to step up our game to reach people earlier.”
“As HIV transmissions decrease, it becomes harder to find people with HIV without expanding testing” says Gibbs. “Early diagnosis protects individual health and prevents onward transmission. Testing earlier, more often and more people is essential.”
Gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (MSM) remain the group most affected by HIV, making up 60 percent of diagnoses in 2025. While locally acquired HIV among MSM has fallen by around 50 percent since 2010, the University of Otago data shows this drop has occurred mostly among European MSM. Numbers among Māori and other ethnic groups of MSM have increased or remained the same.
Burnett Foundation Aotearoa is calling for greater investment in HIV testing, including expanded funding for community-led, culturally appropriate services and system-level changes such as opt-out HIV testing in Emergency Departments and other high-contact healthcare settings.
“Routine, opt-out testing makes HIV testing normal, not exceptional,” Gibbs says. “Emergency Departments are a critical touchpoint for people who may never otherwise be offered a test. Changes like these can add up to make a huge difference.”
Overall, locally acquired HIV infections have fallen by 45 percent since the 2010 baseline set by the National HIV Action Plan – a significant achievement, but still well short of the 90 percent reduction target by 2030.
“We’re heading in the right direction, but progress is fragile,” says Gibbs. “Now is not the time to step back. We need bold action on equity, stigma reduction, better outreach to all communities, and smarter testing so no one is left behind as we work towards an HIV-free Aotearoa.” 
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Employment Issues – Lakes and Whanganui nurses still waiting for Holiday Pay a decade on – NZNO

Source: New Zealand Nurses Organisation

Nurses at Lakes and Whanganui districts are calling on Te Whatu Ora to explain why after a decade of redress, they still don’t know when they will receive their full Holiday Act remediation payments, NZNO says.
While current Te Whatu Ora workers at all other 18 districts have received their full and final remediation payments, those at Lakes and Whanganui will have to wait until August and October respectively for an interim payment up to 31 December 2025. In an update to staff last month, Te Whatu Ora said the balance would be paid in early to mid 2027.
Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa NZNO Whanganui delegate and Whanganui Base Hospital nurse Eugene Kennelly says members understand Whanganui and Lakes were more difficult districts to remediate.
“Te Whatu Ora has explained that in our districts, historic paper-based timesheets need to be digitised before payments can be finalised.
“But it beggars belief it has taken more than a decade to do this. It is also baffling that we will get an interim payment up until the end of last year.
“Why is Te Whatu Ora still remediating Holiday Act payments for 2026? Shouldn't the payrolls for Whanganui and Lakes be compliant with the Holiday Act by now?”
Lakes delegate and Rotorua Hospital nurse Lyn Logan says Te Whatu Ora needs to prioritise this work so workers can get their payments faster.
“We have waited long enough. There are new staff at Lakes who are getting their payments as former workers from other districts and current workers haven’t received a red cent.
“This is effectively wage theft.
“Nurses have died waiting for these payments. It is disgraceful. Te Whatu Ora should treat their hardworking nurses better,” Lyn Logan says.
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Health Sector – Kiwis support stronger nicotine regulation, survey finds

Source: Health Coalition Aotearoa

A majority of New Zealanders support reinstating the very low nicotine cigarette policy, and more than two-thirds believe the tobacco industry influences government policy, a new national survey has found.
The Talbot Mills Research survey of 1,247 adults showed 68% believe the tobacco industry influences government policy, alongside 55% support for reintroducing very low nicotine cigarettes.
Support for expanding access to new nicotine products such as oral nicotine pouches is limited, with more New Zealanders opposing the retail sale of nicotine pouches than supporting it (46% vs 33%).
Concern about the impact of these products on young people is high, with 57% of respondents saying retail availability of nicotine pouches would increase youth uptake.
Health Coalition Aotearoa Smoking Expert Advisory Group co-chair Prof Chris Bullen said the findings sent a clear signal about the direction New Zealanders expected tobacco and nicotine policy to take.
“When two-thirds of New Zealanders believe the tobacco industry influences government regulation, that raises serious questions about public confidence,” Prof Bullen said.
“People expect decisions to be based on evidence and focused on long-term health outcomes, not commercial interests.”
The findings come at a time of significant change in New Zealand’s tobacco control settings, following the repeal of smokefree legislation, moves to expand access to oral nicotine products, and decisions to reduce excise on some tobacco products.
Health experts have also raised concerns about the limited evidence supporting these products and their potential impact on young people.
“New Zealanders are concerned about youth uptake and remain sceptical about the claimed benefits of these products,” Prof Bullen said.
“At the same time, there is strong public support for reinstating the very low nicotine cigarette policy, which would reduce nicotine in cigarettes to very low levels to help reduce addiction and support quitting, particularly for Māori and other communities disproportionately affected by tobacco-related harm.”
“Very low nicotine tobacco is one of the most effective population-level tools we have,” said Edward Cowley, co-chair of the Smoking Expert Advisory Group.
“Support for this measure it is evident across political groups.”
Health Coalition Aotearoa has released a policy brief (attached here) alongside the survey, calling for policies grounded in evidence and aligned with public expectations.
The brief recommends:
  • Not proceeding with retail legalisation of oral nicotine products without robust independent evidence
  • Reinstating the very low nicotine cigarette policy
  • Strengthening regulatory settings across nicotine products
  • Strengthening safeguards against tobacco industry influence
“There is no clear public mandate for expanding access to new nicotine products,” Cowley said. “New Zealanders want stronger protections, not expanded access to nicotine products.”
Notes
A nationally representative survey of 1,247 New Zealand adults, conducted by Talbot Mills Research in April 2026, found:
  • 68% believe the tobacco industry influences government policy
  • 55% support reintroducing very low nicotine cigarettes
  • 57% think retail nicotine pouches would increase youth uptake
  • More New Zealanders oppose than support retail sale of nicotine pouches (46% vs 33%)
Survey conducted by Talbot Mills Research, 1-14 April 2026
Nationally representative sample of 1,247 adults (18+)
Margin of error ±2.9%
Oral nicotine products include nicotine pouches such as Zyn and other smokeless nicotine products designed to be placed between the gum and lip.
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Over four children killed or injured on average a day during the ‘so- called’ ceasefire in Lebanon – Save the Children

Source: Save the Children

More than four children have been killed or injured every day on average in Lebanon in the first 25 days of a temporary ceasefire with families still unable to return to their homes, said Save the Children ahead of further peace talks this week. [1]
New data from Lebanon’s Ministry of Health on Tuesday showed that 22 children have been killed and 89 injured since the temporary ceasefire started on 17 April. This brings the number of children killed in Israeli strikes since renewed escalation in hostilities in Lebanon on 2 March to almost 200 with about 2,900 people killed.
The violence and renewed displacement orders have forced more than one million people – or one in six of the population – from their homes with many now living with relatives, in host communities or in collective shelters.
The number of families living in collective shelters has increased 5% since the conditional ceasefire due to renewed displacement orders by Israeli forces and as families return home to find destroyed houses and damaged farmland so move back the collective shelters. There are now 44,800 children among about 125,000 people in collective shelters. [3]
Thousands of children have been living in collective shelters for over two months in overcrowded conditions with inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene facilities leading to reports of scabies and growing health concerns.
Parents are reporting widespread behavioural changes among children living in collective shelters due to a lack of routine and reduced school engagement including loss of appetite and trouble sleeping. Many children are struggling to continue learning with some schools used as collective shelters and also difficulties accessing online learning due to limited electricity, and poor connectivity.
Tala-, 10, has been living in a collective shelter after being displaced from southern Lebanon, said:
“I just want the war to end so I can go home to my village and sleep in my own bed. I really miss school, I want to see my teachers and be with my friends, and study and play again.”
Nora Ingdal, Save the Children’s Lebanon Country Director, said:
“This ‘so called’ ceasefire that still sees more than four children killed or injured every day is not a ceasefire for children. Attacks on civilians have not stopped – it has simply continued under another name. Colleagues have told me that the airstrikes feel more intense in some areas than they ever did before. Children are not safe until there is a permanent and definitive ceasefire with no violations.”
With further peace talks set to take place on Thursday to determine next steps between Lebanon and Israel, Save the Children is calling on the international community to urgently work toward a permanent and definitive ceasefire and ensure flexible and sustained funding to protect children and allow families to return home to resume their lives.
Save the Children has worked in Lebanon since 1953. In collaboration with partners and local authorities, we are distributing essential items in hard-to-reach areas in the south, provide psychosocial support for children, educate families and children about the risks of unexploded ordnance, ensure access to safe water and sanitation facilities, and distribute essential items for those displaced.
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Investments and Human Rights – GUARDIANS TO REVISE POLICY DOCUMENTS FOLLOWING JUDICIAL REVIEW

Source: Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation (Guardians)

The Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation (Guardians), manager of the $90 billion New Zealand Superannuation Fund (Super Fund), has confirmed it will not appeal a recent Judicial Review that found two of its policy documents were not formulated in accordance with the relevant statutory requirements.

In a decision published on 16 May 2026, Justice Mount said parts of the Guardians’ Statement of Investment Policies, Standards & Procedures and its Sustainable Investment Framework were “materially less clear and specific than the previous iterations” and “framed in such general terms as to provide no practical benchmark for those applying them in relation to alleged breaches of human rights standards.”

General Manager of Corporate Affairs Cristina Billett said the Guardians accepted that its policies need more specificity and would be amending them accordingly.

“Our mandate requires us to manage the Super Fund in a manner consistent with, among other things, avoiding prejudice to New Zealand’s reputation as a responsible member of the world community, and our investment policies are designed to ensure we achieve that objective,” Ms Billett said.

“We accept Justice Mount’s finding that it is important we not only adhere to and comply with our sustainable investment policies, but that the standards and procedures underlying those policies must be identified more clearly in our policy documents.

With that in mind, we are now working on how we can reformulate those documents to ensure they satisfy that condition.”

Ms Billett said the court decision focused on the way the Guardians’ policy documents described the Guardians’ sustainable investment decision-making processes.

Updates to the policy documents in recent years had not, however, materially changed the Guardians’ actual engagement and exclusion practices.

Further information about the Guardians’ sustainable investment approach is available in our Stewardship Report: https://nzsuperfund.cmail19.com/t/d-l-guthuud-hujkdust-n/

And in the investment section of our website: https://nzsuperfund.cmail19.com/t/d-l-guthuud-hujkdust-p/

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Budget 2026 will further damage public services and drive more workers out the door – PSA

Source: PSA

The Prime Minister’s Budget 2026 preview today confirms what public service workers already feared: more cuts are coming, and New Zealanders will pay the price.
“Enough is enough. Public services are already being cut to the bone, and the Prime Minister is sharpening the knife for another round,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
“Thousands of jobs have already been axed. Services New Zealanders depend on are already suffering. And now the Prime Minister says ‘ongoing reprioritisation’ is required. Let’s be clear: that’s code for more cuts, all because the Government made a choice to fund tax cuts over public services.”
A recent PSA survey of public service workers found one in four public service workers is thinking about leaving.
“This Budget risks turning that into a stampede,” said Fleur Fitzsimons.
“We cannot afford to lose more experienced public servants. Who is going to tackle rising poverty, fix our crumbling infrastructure, care for our ageing population, and grow the economy? You can’t do more with less forever, and the Government has long passed the point where cuts cause real harm.
“The Prime Minister talks about investing in health and education, but those areas too have faced big job losses and real spending cuts. Now he demands further savings from every other agency. That’s not a plan; it’s a recipe for more pain and disruption.
“This is a government that has spent billions of dollars on tax cuts for landlords and big tobacco while gutting the services working New Zealanders rely on. Their priorities are a disgrace.
“New Zealanders deserve a public service with the people and resources to deliver. This Budget should be rebuilding our public services, not running them further into the ground.”
Recent statement
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.
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Hapai Te Hauora – New Online Gambling laws could grow harm while claiming to reduce it

Source: Hapai Te Hauora

Hāpai Te Hauora is concerned that Aotearoa’s new online casino gambling laws could grow harm while claiming to reduce it.
The Online Casino Gambling Act came into force on 1 May 2026 and will allow up to 15 online casino licences in Aotearoa. The regime is being phased in and is not expected to be fully operational until 2027.
While the Act brings offshore online gambling under regulation, Hāpai says regulation must not be mistaken for prevention.
Chief Operating Officer Jason Alexander says concern remains about what this new regime could mean for whānau Māori.
“Regulation is needed. Our concern is that this Act does not just regulate online casino gambling; it risks normalising and expanding it,” says Alexander.
“Some regulation is better than none, but regulation is not the same as prevention. A regulated market can still expand exposure, normalise gambling and increase harm.”
“Māori already experience a disproportionate share of gambling harm, so any expansion of this market needs to be treated very cautiously.”
Last year, Hāpai supported whānau to have their say on the Online Casino Gambling Bill. What we heard was clear: whānau were concerned about gambling harm, advertising, tamariki, Te Tiriti and the impact online casinos could have on Māori communities.
Alexander says those concerns are still relevant as the new regime takes shape.
“Legalising and licensing online casino gambling changes the environment. It increases legitimacy, visibility and commercial pressure to grow the market,” says Alexander.
“That is why harm prevention needs to come first. We need much tighter advertising controls, strong Māori-led protections, and confidence that safeguards are in place before this market expands.”
“One of the concerns is that some key protections are still not expected to be in place before whānau are exposed to this new market. The national self-exclusion register is not expected until at least late 2027, leaving a significant gap in the meantime.”
Hāpai says online gambling must be treated as a public health issue, not just an individual choice.
“Whānau wellbeing must come before gambling profit,” says Alexander.
“Prevention cannot be an afterthought. It needs to be built into this system from the start.”
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Awards – Entry standards ‘through the roof’ for Primary Industries Awards

Source: Federated Farmers

From a billion-dollar apple brand to grassroots rural leaders, this year’s Primary Industries New Zealand Awards (PINZ) finalists reflect a sector overflowing with talent.
Three finalists in each of nine categories have just been announced, with the winners to be named at an awards ceremony in Auckland on 23 June.
Respected agricultural commentator Alan Emerson, a judge in multiple PINZ awards, says he was deeply impressed by the calibre of this year’s nominations.
“The standard has always been incredibly high, but this time it feels like it’s gone through the roof.
“In a number of categories, nominations were so strong, they could have been split into two or three further categories and it would still be justified honouring people in each,” Emerson says.
“That was particularly so with the new Rural Woman of the Year Award, and in categories such as the Champion and Agricultural Communicator of the Year awards.”
The awards night, a highlight of the PINZ Summit at Cordis Hotel on 23-24 June, will celebrate the leaders, producers, scientists, research teams and innovators who shift the dial for farmers and the wider primary sector.
Two awards given out by the Guild of Agricultural Journalists and Communicators have been brought into the fold for the first time this year.
Broadcasters Jamie Mackay and Dom George, along with former Special Agricultural Trade Envoy Hamish Marr, are Agricultural Communicator of the Year finalists.
RNZ journalist Alexa Cook, Riley Kennedy of BusinessDesk, and Richard Rennie and Neal Wallace of Farmers Weekly are in the running for the Excellence in Agricultural Journalism Rongo Award.
Another veteran PINZ Awards judge, Justin Courtney of Dawn Chorus Consulting, says it’s a sound move to incorporate these two awards into the sector celebration.
“We should be recognising the storytellers who shed light on our industry.
“These journalists, communicators and broadcasters also have a real passion for our sector.
“They do a great job passing information back to the farming community and the wider public, so people have a deeper understanding of what makes us tick,” Courtney says.
Finalists in the inaugural Rural Woman of the Year Award are Beef + Lamb NZ chair Kate Acland, Federated Farmers national board member Sandra Faulkner, and Sarah Donaldson of the East Coast Rural Support Trust.
Finalists for the Food, Beverage & Fibre Product Award also underline the calibre of this year’s nominations.
Bucking a tradition of importing all of New Zealand’s bird seed requirements, the Webster and Mitchell families of North Otago formed Topflite, building a business from just two hectares of sunflowers into an enterprise growing and supplying 1,600 tonnes of bird and small animal seed each year.
Topflite is up against pioneering blueberry growers, artisanal winemakers and gourmet product innovators Mamaku Blue, and T&G Global’s premium ENVY apple enterprise, the nation’s first billion-dollar apple brand.
Team & Collaboration Award finalists include the WaterForce team, which showed exceptional speed in restoring irrigation infrastructure after severe winds in Canterbury last October.
They’re up against A Lighter Touch, a 13-stakeholder collaboration driving agro-ecological crop protection and other innovations, and Sow the Seed, which secured agricultural and horticultural science as a valid, standalone secondary school subject.
“In a time when around the world people might be struggling to find stories of success, these award nominations show our sector is thriving,” Courtney says.
“That’s off the back of a massive effort from people featuring in these nominations for the way they look after the land, the products they put into the market, or the science and research efforts that help drive that progress.
“They’re all a credit to New Zealand.”
As is tradition, there are no finalists for the Outstanding Contribution to New Zealand’s Primary Industries Award – but a winner will be revealed on the night.
FULL LIST OF 2026 PINZ AWARD FINALISTS
Agricultural Communicator of the Year
Dom George – Rural Exchange (REX)
Hamish Marr – former Special Agricultural Trade Envoy
Jamie Mackay – The Country
Champion Award
Dianne Schumacher – Dairy Companies Association of NZ (DCANZ)
Mike Casey – Rewiring Aotearoa
Neil Bateup – Rural Support Trust
Emerging Leader Award
Ben Purua – Farm Up NZ
Danielle Hovmand – Federated Farmers
James Robertson – Fonterra
Excellence in Agricultural Journalism Rongo Award
Alexa Cook – RNZ
Richard Rennie & Neal Wallace – Farmers Weekly
Riley Kennedy – BusinessDesk
Food, Beverage & Fibre Product Award
Topflite
Mamaku Blue
T&G Global
Guardianship & Conservation (Kaitiakitanga) Award
Parininihi ki Waitōtara
Gordon Williams – Pamu Landcorp Farming
Pokaiwhenua Catchment Project
Rural Woman of the Year
Kate Acland – Beef + Lamb New Zealand
Sandra Faulkner – Federated Farmers of NZ
Sarah Donaldson – East Coast Rural Support Trust
Team & Collaboration Award
Sow the Seed Advisory & the Horticulture & Agriculture Teachers Association
WaterForce
A Lighter Touch
Technology & Innovation Project Award
Bioforce
The Sustainable Vegetable Systems project
Prism Earth.
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ASB backs New Zealand businesses to lift productivity with new programme connecting talent, knowledge and expertise

Source: ASB

ASB is pulling out all the stops to tackle New Zealand’s productivity challenge, with a national programme to significantly uplift the performance of Kiwi businesses.

Pathway to Productivity will target more than 4,100 businesses in its first year, bringing together three initiatives: an artificial intelligence (AI) bootcamp co-developed with Xero and delivered by academyEX, a placement programme for emerging AI and data science talent in partnership with the NZ Product Accelerator, and access to independent consultancy backed by ASB financing.

Ben Speedy, ASB’s Executive General Manager of Business Banking, says Kiwi businesses are often trying to compete without the same tools and technology as their overseas counterparts, and the gap is widening as AI takes hold.

“While we have spades, international businesses have excavators. Too often, our productivity challenges are approached by adding more people, rather than investing in automation or AI. Pathway to Productivity is about helping businesses step up to the excavators, with practical, evidence-based solutions that can genuinely lift New Zealand’s productivity.”

ASB is targeting the following outcomes in 2026:

4,100 New Zealand businesses backed[1]
$5.1 million in additional revenue[2] generated and $44.7 million in cost savings[3] unlocked by businesses through the emerging talent programme
Up to 2 days per week[4] freed up per business by powering productivity through AI supported by the bootcamp and specialised, on site, productivity support

Building knowledge through AI Bootcamp for Business

In partnership with Xero, next week ASB is launching AI Bootcamp for Business, delivered by academyEX.

Designed to help 4,000 small and medium sized New Zealand businesses build the confidence to apply AI in their operations, this will be Aotearoa’s largest practical AI bootcamp, made up of a series of free online sessions over 12 weeks.

By the end of the 12‑week programme, participating businesses will have built an AI‑driven marketing campaign, a workflow‑managing AI agent, competitive market analysis, AI‑generated standard operating procedures, business insight briefs, and at least one automated workflow or agent. Businesses will also leave with a 30‑day AI implementation plan to support immediate adoption. The $1,350 per person cost of attending the bootcamp and 12-month access to an AI foundation learning platform will be fully covered.

Bridget Snelling, Xero’s Country Manager in Aotearoa New Zealand says the desire for practical, hands-on learning with these tools is a driving factor behind the upcoming AI bootcamp.

“Many Kiwi business owners are already exploring AI technologies. But finding the time and confidence to move beyond basic prompts into practical, day‑to‑day use remains a real challenge,” says Snelling.

“That’s why we’re partnering with ASB to deliver the bootcamp to help upskill businesses that are interested in learning how to use AI safely to support their own productivity journey.”

Access to emerging talent through Productivity Co-Lab for Business

Building on a successful pilot last year, ASB has teamed up with the NZ Product Accelerator, a national capability and collaboration partner for problem-led innovation, science and technology, to launch Productivity Co-Lab for Business.

The programme will pair NZ Product Accelerator expertise with small and medium sized Kiwi businesses to identify targeted projects or workstreams where innovation can unlock growth. By matching each business’s specific needs with the unique skills of an AI, data science, engineering or business Master’s student, the programme aims to maximise growth potential.

Businesses will benefit from practical access to next generation skills while providing students with real-world commercial experience. Over a semester, students build capability while working alongside participating businesses to apply AI to operational challenges, from improving product performance to streamlining customer service and inventory management, and developing new product prototypes.

The programme has extended nationwide through a network of participating universities, giving regionally based businesses an opportunity to participate.

Expert specialist manufacturing advice backing action through Productivity Consultants

For medium and large manufacturing businesses seeking deeper support, ASB will provide access to 1:1 independent consultants to help identify and prioritise the most impactful productivity initiatives, and benchmark performance against peers.

This support will be backed by incentivised ASB financing, including reimbursement of consultancy costs of up to 1% of the loan value (capped at $50,000), alongside a competitive loan.

Ben Speedy says Pathway to Productivity is designed to close the gap between intent and impact.

“Productivity improves when businesses can access the right talent, build the right knowledge and apply it with confidence. New Zealand has no shortage of ambition, but many businesses still struggle to bridge the gap between intent and action. This programme makes that bridge easier to cross.

“Last year, our economists found New Zealand could unlock an additional $60 billion in incomes each year by 2050 if we take action to lift productivity. By embedding AI and data-driven capability into these businesses, we believe this programme can deliver real, measurable gains, not just for individual firms, but for the New Zealand economy as a whole.”

 

To find out more about how ASB is backing business, click here. Business who would like to register interest in one of our programmes can do so from Monday 18 May via our website.

 

1 4,100 businesses targeted includes 4,000 for AI Bootcamp for Business, 100 for Productivity Co-Lab for Business and 20 for Productivity Consultants.

2 $5.1 million additional revenue based on 100 businesses participating, assuming average gain of $51,000 per business, in line with findings from pilot.

3 $44.7 million cost savings based on 100 businesses participating, assuming average saving of $447,000 per business, in line with findings from pilot.

4 Up to 2 days per week saved, assumes up to one day saved from embedding the learnings and actions from the AI bootcamp (source:Bridging the Generational AI Gap: Unlocking Productivity for All Generations, London School of Economics, October 2025). Equivalent of 1 day of manufacturing capacity saved through accessing specialist manufacturing advice and support (source: LMAC).

 

 

[1] 4,100 businesses targeted includes 4,000 for AI Bootcamp for Business, 100 for Productivity Co-Lab for Business and 20 for Productivity Consultants.

[2] $5.1 million additional revenue based on 100 businesses participating, assuming average gain of $51,000 per business, in line with findings from pilot.

[3] $44.7 million cost savings based on 100 businesses participating, assuming average saving of $447,000 per business, in line with findings from pilot.

[4] Up to 2 days per week saved, assumes up to one day saved from embedding the learnings and actions from the AI bootcamp (source: Bridging the Generational AI Gap: Unlocking Productivity for All Generations, London School of Economics, October 2025). Equivalent of 1 day of manufacturing capacity saved through accessing specialist manufacturing advice and support (source: LMAC).

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Westgold butter officially the tastiest

Source: Westland Milk Products

 

Westgold butter has come out on top of all butters sold in supermarkets after a blind tasting test conducted by Consumer New Zealand. So, what's our secret? The grass-fed diet of cows raised on the pastures of one of the most beautiful and remote dairy farming regions of the world.

 

A taste panel by Consumer New Zealand thought Westgold butter was complex, delicious and, most importantly, buttery. Some of their comments are worth their weight in gold.

 

“More complex than others, in a good way,” said one, “Yes, just yes. Yellowy, buttery goodness,” said another, and: “Rich, salty and decadent. Hell yeah.”

 

Westland Milk Products CEO Alex Turnbull said the results confirm one of Westland’s best kept secrets, and we want the world to know and help them share in the magic of grass-fed butter from the magical West Coast of New Zealand.

 

“Given our location and the knowledge and skills of our butter team, we know we have a lot going for us, but this result still fills us with pride,'' Mr Turnbull said.

 

The simplicity of mixing only grass-fed fresh cream and salt gives Westgold butter a distinctive texture, while Westgold’s distinctive gold colour is a result of the more than 97[i] per cent grass-fed diet of our West Coast dairy cows cherished and looked after by our partner farmers.

 

A centuries-old churning method built into the butter plant Westland commissioned in 2022 at Hokitika on the West Coast is used to process cream into butter. This is a slower processing method that results in a higher-quality product.

 

But perhaps the most important ingredient to making butter as good as Westland does is the time spent perfecting the craft involved in making butter. Staff in the butter team have spent an average of 20,000 hours (or 10 years) producing butter.

 

Cream Senior Production Manager, Dean Robinson, has celebrated more than 30 years of service.

 

“Our butter-team has more accumulated knowledge than any other team at Westland and, potentially, more knowledge than any other butter producers in the country,'' Mr Robinson said.

 

“After making butter for so many years, everyone working in the factory has the eye for it and just knows when it is right. Our butter churners all have their own characteristics. Our staff have been able to use the instinct that comes from extensive experience.”

 

New employees are trained by those who have the most experience to make sure that everyone gets the benefit of the team’s knowledge. 

 

This all drives the taste of Westgold Butter as more people around the world – and at home – are discovering. Sales of Westgold butter are booming and have grown around 40 per cent over the past four years in New Zealand.