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Defence News – Kiwi sailors benefit from deployment with Cook Islands Police

Source: New Zealand Defence Force

Four Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) personnel have completed a seven-week deployment throughout the Cook Islands and French Polynesia aboard the Cook Islands Police patrol vessel Te Kukupa II.

Supporting maritime security operations and a humanitarian assistance exercise, Midshipman Imogen Herbert, Leading Combat Systems Specialist Leon Fortes, Leading Chef Monique Manuel and Able Communications Warfare Specialist Brodus Murray augmented the Cook Islands maritime police crew on Te Kukupa II.

Midshipman Herbert said the opportunity to immerse themselves in the Pacific environment was one of the most rewarding aspects of the deployment.

“Visiting communities with populations of only a few hundred people gave us a real appreciation of the unique challenges faced by Pacific Island nations and highlighted the importance of regional cooperation,” she said.

While the Navy personnel brought specialist knowledge and operational experience to their time on Te Kukupa II, they gained an appreciation for the Cook Islands' culture and the close connection between its people and the maritime environment.

“From day one, the crew of Te Kukupa II welcomed us as part of the team. Over the seven weeks living and working together, we developed great friendships and learned a tremendous amount.”

During Operation Tui Moana, the crew completed around 15 boardings of vessels suspected of fishery violations as well as supporting maritime security operations throughout the Cook Islands' Exclusive Economic Zone.

There was also an opportunity to visit a local school on Penrhyn, the northernmost atoll in the Cook Islands group, and deliver much needed sports equipment.

The deployment concluded with the French-led Exercise Marara in Tahiti, involving 12 Pacific partner nations across land, air and maritime domains. The exercise focused on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief designed to strengthen the coordination between Indo-Pacific partners using a simulated large-scale natural disaster scenario.

Cook Islands Police Commissioner Teokotai Joseph said the seven week deployment demonstrated the strength of the relationship between the Cook Islands and New Zealand.

“This is the second time this year that RNZN personnel have augmented the crew of Te Kukupa II on an international deployment and we are very grateful for the additional skills, experience and perspectives they have provided to enhance our capability.

The deployment provided an important opportunity to learn from one another, and develop professional relationships and personal connections that underpin the long-standing partnership between our two services. We thank them for their outstanding contribution.”

For Midshipman Herbert and the other RNZN personnel, the deployment delivered operational and personal rewards.

“It reinforced the importance of working together with our Pacific partners and showed that by sharing knowledge, experience and friendship, we all become stronger.”

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Advocacy – Anti-Palestinian Racism: A Prejudice That Extends Beyond Palestinians Themselves – PFNZ

Source: Palestine Forum of New Zealand (PFNZ)

Naming a Long-Standing Pattern

For decades, Palestinians have described a particular kind of hostility that doesn't fit neatly into existing categories of discrimination. It isn't quite the same as Islamophobia, since not all Palestinians are Muslim. It isn't quite the same as general anti-Arab racism, since it attaches specifically to Palestinian identity, history, and political claims. 

In 2022, the Arab Canadian Lawyers Association gave this pattern a name: Anti-Palestinian Racism, or APR. Their working description frames it as a form of anti-Arab racism that silences, excludes, erases, stereotypes, defames, or dehumanizes Palestinians or their narratives including the denial of the Nakba, the refusal to recognise Palestinians as an Indigenous people with a collective identity, and the branding of Palestinians and their supporters as inherently antisemitic or sympathetic to terrorism simply for asserting Palestinian rights.

It's worth noting that this framework is contested. Groups such as the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and other critics argue that APR, as defined by ACLA, is too broad that it can be used to characterise ordinary political disagreement, or even the assertion of Jewish indigeneity and self-determination, as racism. That criticism is a live part of the public debate, and readers encountering the term for the first time deserve to know the argument exists on both sides. What follows describes how APR is experienced and articulated by those who use the term, while acknowledging that its scope and application remain genuinely disputed.

How APR Shows Up in Practice

Those who document APR point to patterns across media, employment, education, and public institutions:

Media framing. Palestinian deaths are often reported in the passive voice people “die” rather than being killed while Israeli deaths are more often attributed directly to a named actor. Palestinian sources are treated with more scepticism than official Israeli statements, even when both are unverified.

Professional and institutional consequences. Palestinians and their supporters have lost jobs, had job offers rescinded, or faced disciplinary action at universities and workplaces after expressing ordinary political views wearing a keffiyeh, posting about Gaza, or signing an open letter. The chilling effect discourages people from speaking at all.

Erasure in language. Referring to Palestinian land only as “disputed territory,” describing historic Palestinian towns solely by their post-1948 names, or omitting Palestinians from discussions of the region's history are all cited as everyday examples of narrative erasure.

Conflation with violence. Perhaps the most cited manifestation is the assumption that expressing Palestinian identity, grief, or political demands is equivalent to endorsing violence an assumption rarely applied in reverse.

Why It Doesn't Stop at Palestinians

One of the more striking aspects of how APR is described by its proponents is that it isn't confined to people who are themselves Palestinian. Because the core mechanism is the delegitimizing of a narrative rather than simply prejudice against an ethnicity, anyone who visibly aligns with that narrative can be swept into the same treatment. Human rights workers, students, academics, journalists, and even entirely unrelated ethnic and faith communities have reported being labelled “terrorist sympathisers” or “antisemitic” for advocacy that amounts to supporting Palestinian human rights a slander ACLA's own definition explicitly names as one of the manifestations of APR: defaming Palestinians and their allies with the accusation that they are inherently antisemitic or a terrorism threat, or opposed to democratic values.

In practice, this has meant:

  • Non-Palestinian speakers and MCs being dropped from events after expressing solidarity.
  • Solidarity encampments and vigils facing disproportionate police response compared with other protest movements.
  • Jewish anti-Zionist activists being told they are “self-hating” or inauthentic, a tactic that uses identity to police political dissent from within a community as well as from outside it.
  • Community organisations Muslim, Arab, and otherwise having funding, venue bookings, or partnerships quietly withdrawn after co-signing Palestine-related statements.

This is part of why advocates increasingly describe APR not as a narrow ethnic prejudice but as a broader mechanism for enforcing which narratives are permissible in public life. The target is the message as much as the messenger.

Why the Distinction Matters

Recognising APR as its own category rather than folding it entirely into Islamophobia or antisemitism matters for two practical reasons. First, it captures harms that neither of those frameworks fully covers, such as Nakba denial or the automatic suspicion attached to Palestinian narratives regardless of the speaker's religion. Second, it clarifies that criticism of a state's policies is analytically distinct from prejudice against a people, a distinction both defenders and critics of the APR framework say they want preserved, even as they disagree sharply about where that line actually falls in practice.

Where This Leaves Public Debate

APR remains an evolving and disputed concept rather than a settled legal standard. No government has formally adopted a definition of it into anti-discrimination law, and organisations across the political spectrum continue to argue over both its content and its consequences for free expression. What isn't in serious dispute is that Palestinians and increasingly those who publicly stand with them describe a consistent, recognisable pattern of exclusion, suspicion, and professional risk tied directly to that identity and advocacy. Whether or not one accepts APR as the right label for it, the underlying experiences being described are real and worth taking seriously on their own terms.

Palestine Forum of New Zealand

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Legislation – NZ Government taking the country down a chilling path – Amnesty International

Source: Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand

“We are once again seeing the Government rush through legislation without adequate oversight and the opportunity for us all to have a say. The Climate Change Response Amendment Bill has just been introduced under urgency. This change is constitutionally significant, yet people have been given a very small window to share their views. This is not what happens in a healthy, thriving, representative democracy.”
Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand’s Movement Building and Advocacy Director, Lisa Wood said in a statement today.
Woods says the Conservation Amendment Bill and the Climate Change Response (Tort Liability) Bills should be stopped.
“When the people we elect to govern limit communities being heard on the things that impact us, when the powerful decide in situations of such significance like this that they don’t need the transparency, accountability and participation we should expect, they erode the foundations of a stable society. These Bills risk people losing trust in our government and institutions to listen or to do the best for us.
“Good decision making comes from a foundation based on Te Tiriti o Waitangi that provides a place for us all to belong, one that includes a diversity of perspectives. We need decision makers to actively maintain this foundation to build a stable home for all of us.
“However, this is not what we’re seeing. The Climate Change Response Amendment Bill would bar people from taking climate-related tort claims to court, cutting off an important avenue for access to justice. The Conservation Bill risks weakening protections for public conservation land, and both Bills threaten to undermine Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the rights of tangata whenua.
“New Zealanders must seriously question what path this is all leading us down. We strongly encourage people to have a say on these Bills and take a stand for the kind of society we want.”
Submissions on the following Bills are due 13 July 2026.
  • Climate Change Response (Tort Liability) Amendment Bill (the Bill). This Bill amends the Climate Change Response Act 2002 creating a bar on the ability of people to bring claims against greenhouse gas emitters for climate-related harm.
  • Conservation Amendment Bill proposes significant changes to how public conservation land is managed.
Read the submissions made by Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand here:
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Economy – OCR increase to 2.50% to return inflation to 2% – Reserve Bank

Source: Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ)

8 July 2026 – The Monetary Policy Committee today reached consensus to increase the OCR by 25 basis points to 2.50 percent.

Following the partial reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, global oil prices have fallen markedly. Other petrochemical prices have also moved lower. As a result, near-term inflation pressures have eased.

Although energy prices have decreased, the effects of the shock will linger for some time and the outlook for medium-term inflation pressures remains uncertain. The stance of monetary policy is calibrated to bring inflation back to target without causing unnecessary economic instability.

Global growth has been resilient to the effects of tariffs and conflict in the Middle East, largely because of strong AI-related investment and spending on defence and economic security. Headline inflation in New Zealand's trading partners has increased but is expected to ease to close to 2 percent in 2027. Markets expect global policy rates to increase above pre-conflict levels, as central banks may need to respond to persistent energy-driven inflation pressures.

New Zealand's economic recovery was underway before the Middle East conflict, but lost momentum in the June quarter as the oil shock weighed on economic activity. Growth is expected to resume in the September quarter as these effects fade and confidence improves. Over the medium term, inflation returning to the 2 percent target mid-point will lift household purchasing power and help support a sustained recovery in growth and employment.

The outlook for medium-term inflation pressures depends on the extent to which recent cost increases feed through into higher prices. Spare capacity in the economy is expected to limit firms' ability to pass on higher costs, meaning many businesses may need to absorb them in margins. However, some firms may look to rebuild margins as demand recovers. If sustained, a lower exchange rate could also add to medium-term inflation pressures.

With inflation still above target and economic activity expected to strengthen, some further reduction in monetary stimulus is likely to be required to return inflation to the 2 percent target mid-point. Future OCR decisions will depend on how incoming data, price-setting behaviour, and the strength of economic activity affect medium-term inflation pressures.

Read the full statement and Record of meeting: https://govt.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=bd316aa7ee4f5679c56377819&id=9eb7b7605a&e=f3c68946f8

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Research – Business results outweigh individual performance in bonus payouts – Robert Half

Source: Robert Half

Top factors influencing bonuses are company performance (58%), individual performance (49%), and cost/available budget (48%)

53% of employers say bonuses were higher in their last bonus cycle compared to previous years, while 40% say they were around the same amount

Auckland, 8 July 2026 – While bonuses are often viewed by employees as a direct reflection of their individual contribution, Kiwi employers reveal that broader business considerations weigh just as heavily in determining payout amounts, new independent research by specialised recruiter Robert Half reveals.

Bonuses reflect business realities over personal achievement

While individual performance remains central to how Kiwi employers determine bonuses, business results carry more weight than individual effort, based on the research results.

When asked what the top factors are influencing their company's decision making when considering bonus amounts, employers cited:

  • Company performance (58%) 
  • Individual performance (49%) 
  • Cost/available budget (48%) 
  • Competitor benchmarking (48%) 
  • Employee expectations (47%) 
  • Industry trends (47%).

Uplift in bonuses for some, while others remain unchanged

Despite ongoing economic pressures, bonus payouts appear to be holding firm — and in many cases, increasing.

In the most recent bonus cycle, about half (53%) of employers reported that bonuses were higher than in previous years, while 40% said payouts remained at similar levels. Only 6% indicated bonuses were lower than the year prior, and just 1% said no bonuses were awarded at all.

“In the current economic climate, bonuses are progressively reflecting overall business performance rather than individual achievement alone,” says Megan Alexander, Managing Director at Robert Half. “While personal contribution remains an important component, employers are making bonus decisions within the context of broader commercial conditions, signalling a more balanced and financially disciplined approach to reward strategy.

“Variable pay has become an important lever for managing risk. Employers are using bonuses to drive motivation and maintain market competitiveness without permanently increasing fixed remuneration. With most organisations holding bonuses steady, they are taking a considered and disciplined approach to reward calibration.”

Who gets what bonus?

Bonus eligibility and structure vary by seniority level, reflecting how employers align rewards with responsibility, tenure, and impact on overall business performance.

While performance bonuses remain the most common incentive across nearly all employee levels, the type and frequency of additional bonuses evolve as professionals progress in their careers.

 

Employee level 

Type of bonus 

Performance 

Profit- sharing 

Sign on 

Retention 

Project completion 

Holiday 

Referral 

Entry level 

22% 

20% 

16% 

15% 

17% 

17% 

20% 

Individual contributor with 2-5 years' experience 

30% 

22% 

21% 

26% 

29% 

33% 

30% 

Individual contributor with 5+ years' experience 

28% 

30% 

26% 

32% 

28% 

24% 

28% 

People manager 

25% 

25% 

26% 

20% 

29% 

23% 

20% 

Senior leader 

22% 

20% 

18% 

21% 

20% 

17% 

22% 

Executive leader 

25% 

20% 

18% 

18% 

17% 

18% 

11% 

Independent survey commissioned by Robert Half among 250 hiring managers in New Zealand.

“The difference in bonus structures across seniority levels depicts how incentives are aligned to impact. Executives and senior leaders are typically more closely tied to profit-sharing and performance because their influence sits at the enterprise level. The modern remuneration strategy is strategically engineered to mirror accountability, influence, and business outcomes,” concludes Alexander.

Notes

About the research

The study was developed by Robert Half and was conducted online in October 2025 by an independent research company of 250 finance, accounting, and IT and technology hiring managers. Respondents are drawn from a sample of SMEs as well as large private, publicly-listed, and public sector organisations across New Zealand. This survey is part of the international workplace survey, a questionnaire about job trends, talent management, and trends in the workplace.

About Robert Half

Robert Half is the global, specialised talent solutions provider that helps employers find their next great hire and jobseekers uncover their next opportunity. Robert Half offers both contract and permanent placement services, and is the parent company of Protiviti, a global consulting firm.   Robert Half New Zealand has an office in Auckland and the South Island. More information on roberthalf.com/nz.

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Natural Disasters – Families displaced by Venezuela earthquakes at risk of infection amid water and sanitation shortages

Source: Save the Children

Hundreds of people displaced by Venezuela’s devastating earthquakes are sharing extremely limited toilets in informal camps, while others are risking returning to damaged homes to use bathrooms despite fears the buildings could collapse, Save the Children said.
Thousands of people sheltering in tents for the past 12 days are without regular access to safe drinking water, running water and toilets, putting them at risk of skin infections, diarrhea and gastrointestinal illnesses, with children particularly vulnerable. Women and girls are having to manage their periods without privacy, clean water and sanitary products.
In some informal camps, there are only one or two pre-existing toilets, some of which were damaged by the earthquake, shared among hundreds of displaced people. Many people are instead defecating and urinating outdoors, including in places where children play.
Ongoing thundershowers and high daytime temperatures risk exacerbating the spread of infections.
Gabriela-, 31, is a doctor working with Paluz, a Save the Children local partner running mobile health clinics for people affected by the earthquake.
Gabriela- said: “People are defecating out in the open, whether it's in the woods, behind rubble, or right in the sea, which means that the water that they are bathing in is contaminated. This can cause skin diseases and eye irritations.”
Isabel-, 44, from Caracas was displaced with her husband and three children and now lives in a tent in front of the building in which the family used to live. Her oldest child, David-,9, was already suffering from a kidney problem. David’s condition worsened after the family had to leave their home due to the lack of toilets and poor sanitation in the camp. He received treatment at Paluz’s mobile clinic, supported by Save the Children.
“Mostly you just have to wait for someone else to go before you can go [to the toilet] too,” said Isabel. “What I see as a priority is having some portable toilets because bathrooms are a big issue.”
Informal camps are lacking a regular supply of drinking water, forcing families to buy bottled water or rely on donations with families rationing bottled water, fearing it will run out.
Gabriela- said: “Right now people are getting water donations in bottles. But as soon as that water runs out, people will resort to whatever water they can get and we don’t know if that water is filtered, chlorinated, or boiled.”
Some families in La Guaira, the area hardest-hit by the earthquake, are collecting untreated river water to drink, cook and wash, putting them at risk of gastrointestinal infections.
Fatima Andraca, Country Director for Save the Children in Venezuela said:
“With every passing day since the earthquakes in Venezuela, the toll this disaster is taking on children grows. Thousands of children are sheltering outside with no regular access to drinking water, toilets or showers, exposing them to a ticking time bomb of new health risks.
“Women and girls are having to manage their periods without privacy, clean water and sanitary products which is incredibly stressful.
“People in the earthquake affected areas urgently need safe drinking water and latrines and mobile health care if they do get sick.”
More than 3,340 people have been confirmed dead following the back-to-back 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes that struck on 24 June, while about 680,000 children have been affected according to the UN. The earthquake also damaged waste management systems and water pipelines.
Save the Children is on the ground in Venezuela, working with authorities and local partners and is distributing hygiene kits and essential supplies, providing primary healthcare through mobile clinics, running safe spaces where children can access mental health support. The organisation will also be providing clean water and coordinated child protection services with key stakeholders.
Save the Children is an independent, impartial child rights organisation with our focus on the urgent humanitarian needs of children and families in Venezuela.
Save the Children has been working in Venezuela since 2018. Since the humanitarian crisis started to rapidly deteriorate a few years ago, Save the Children has been scaling its response through local partners to support the increasing number of children in need. Save the Children is delivering health, nutrition, education, child protection, shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene and food security and livelihoods support.
-Names changed to protect identity
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.
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Local News – Awards recognise Porirua volunteers

Source: Porirua City Council

This year’s Porirua’s Civic Awards highlight and recognise volunteers in our community who are helping to make our city a more vibrant, connected and welcoming place.
They were recognised in an awards ceremony at Pātaka on Tuesday night with Ngāti Toa Kaumatua Dr Taku Parai opening the ceremony, and Councillor Ross Leggett as MC.
Porirua Mayor Anita Baker thanked all of the recipients for their service, noting that there were two husband and wife teams amongst this year’s Civic Award recipients.
“I am so proud to live and work in Porirua. Our city is made up of kind, generous and dedicated people who give their time and energy making a difference for everyone in our city.
“You all have an outstanding sense of community and a desire to be part of what makes Porirua a great place to live. Thank you all for your service to our city.”
2026 Mayoral Award recipient for services to refugees settled in Porirua:
Jenni Norton has worked as a Red Cross volunteer since 2016 and has helped many refugee families who have come to New Zealand. She has made a huge contribution to their lives and her generosity is legend in the Syrian community, spending hundreds of hours with lawyers helping families with tough reunification issues and to deal with the physical and mental effects of the trauma they have suffered.
Jenni set up an Arabic School in Porirua and organised trained teachers to run a culture and language programme for the children of Arabic refugee families. To do this they had to set up an incorporated society which was a totally unfamiliar concept to them. Jenni taught the community leaders how to set up and run these organisations and how governance works in New Zealand.
The 2026 Civic Awards recipients were:
– Brent Tuohy, a driving force behind the Paremata Plimmerton Rugby Football Club and the Plimmerton community for more than three decades, with an extraordinary legacy of leadership, commitment, and generosity. His 30 years of service has left a lasting mark of excellence, inclusion, and community strength, making him a truly deserving candidate for civic recognition.
– Evelina Gaualofa has dedicated many years to Tokelau culture in Porirua, helping young people stand proud in their heritage. Her commitment has strengthened participation in Tokelau language, music, and performing arts, especially among children and young people. This includes teaching songs, dance, language, and values, while also providing transport, fundraising, encouragement, and practical care.
Together with her husband Alfred, Evelina has enriched Porirua’s cultural life and strengthened whānau, youth confidence, and community wellbeing.
– Alfred Masoe has given his time and energy strengthening Tokelau culture in Porirua. He has helped young people stand proud in their heritage, with a sense of belonging, resilience, and intergenerational connection. Alfred has enriched Porirua’s cultural life and strengthened whānau, youth confidence, and community wellbeing through quiet, consistent, and deeply meaningful service. Through humble but powerful service, he continues to build a stronger, more inclusive, and culturally vibrant community for all.
– Brienela Tauira-Kisona’s long-standing service is a powerful example of community leadership and cultural commitment in Porirua. Brienela has tutored local school groups for the Te Kiwa Nui Festival, giving countless hours to rehearsals, choreography, language support, costume coordination, and pastoral care. She has also helped the Porirua Tokelau Sharks prepare for the major Tokelau Easter Festival, the largest Tokelau gathering in the world.
Brienela, along with her husband Fredwyn, ensures that young people are not only performance ready, but also connected to language, identity, and cultural values.
– Fredwyn Kisona’s service over many years is an exemplar of community leadership and cultural commitment in Porirua. He has guided the Porirua Tokelau Sharks as they prepare for the major Tokelau Easter Festival, tutored local school groups for the Te Kiwa Nui Festival, ensuring young people are not only performance ready, but also connected to language, identity, and cultural values. Fredwyn demonstrates generosity, tautua, and cultural pride while serving others and his dedication is making a lasting difference.
The Porirua Civic Awards have been running since 1993 and these local heroes deserve our thanks for their selfless and generous service, often over many years.
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Security and Aviation – Updates to security screening at Hamilton Airport

Source: New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority

From 15 July 2026, passengers travelling through Hamilton Airport will notice a change to our security screening process.

Body scanners (Automated Imaging Technology, or AIT) will become the main way we screen passengers at Hamilton Airport. This change supports New Zealand's strong aviation security standards, as body scanners have proven highly effective at detecting items carried on a person at major airports. They also help make the screening process smoother and quicker for passengers.

This change also comes a year after Hamilton Airport reopened its refurbished international terminal, which reconnected the Waikato region to trans-Tasman travel for the first time in 13 years. The return of international services marked a significant milestone for the region, and as more people travel through the airport, body scanners will become the main screening method to support safe and efficient travel.

For passengers who choose not to use the body scanner or are unable to do so, we have alternative screening options available. Our Aviation Security Officers are at screening points to answer questions and guide you through the process.

For more information about body scanners, including accessibility, safety and privacy, see Our new body scanners explained – protecting you and your privacy.

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Matariki Events – New Matariki artwork transforms Te Waihorotiu Station façade

Source: Auckland Live
A striking new projection artwork celebrating Māori starlore will illuminate the external façade of Te Waihorotiu Station from 8 July as part of Matariki ki te Manawa, Auckland Live's city centre programme within Auckland Council Events' Matariki Festival 2026.

Huihui Whetū showcases an artistic and graphic interpretation of the stars that play an important role in te ao Māori. Featuring spectacular imagery by Graham Tipene (Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, Ngāti Kahu, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Hauā, Ngāti Manu) and curated by the Creative Director of Matariki ki te Manawa, Ataahua Papa (Ngāti Korokī Kahukura, Ngāti Mahuta), this artwork invites Aucklanders to pause, look up and connect with the upper realm.

Starlore is an integral part of te ao Māori. For generations, Māori have looked to the stars and the night sky for clues about what is to come. Ancestors used the stars and other natural elements to navigate waka across the vast Pacific Ocean, while the night sky helped guide seasonal knowledge and changing weather patterns.

Ataahua Papa, says Huihui Whetū is accessible to everyone, giving people an opportunity to connect with these enduring stories in the heart of Tāmaki Makaurau.

“Matariki is a time to pause, reflect and look to the skies. Huihui Whetū encourages people to reconnect with the whetū and the mātauranga they hold, creating a moment of connection in the heart of Tāmaki Makaurau.”

“Public spaces can also be places for reflection. We hope Huihui Whetū creates a quiet moment where people can connect with the stories of the whetū, the whenua and the rich histories of Tāmaki Makaurau.”

Graham Tipene says, “This project gives depth to the attributes of each star within the Matariki cluster. Also included in the series are works that depict other stars seen throughout the year, including Tautoru, Mahutonga, Puanga and Te Matau a Māui – all very important in the worlds of navigation and starlore.”

Projected nightly from approximately 30 minutes before sunset until midnight, until 25 September, Huihui Whetū complements the wider cultural narrative of Te Waihorotiu Station, building on Graham Tipene's artistic contribution to the station's Māori design and storytelling.

Director of Auckland Live, Daniel Clarke says, “This project is about making the most of a unique opportunity. By turning Te Waihorotiu Station southern façade into a temporary canvas, we're creating another way for people to encounter art and culture as they move through the city.”

Delivered in collaboration between Auckland Live, Auckland Council's Auckland Urban Development Office (AUDO) and Auckland Transport, the initiative supports the transitional activation of the future development site beside Te Waihorotiu Station while creating a new temporary public art experience for the city centre.

Te Waihorotiu Station, part of Auckland's City Rail Link (CRL), is located in the heart of Auckland's midtown and is due to open later this year.

For more information, visit Huihui Whetū | Matariki ki te Manawa:

https://www.aucklandlive.co.nz/show/huihui-whetu

Huihui Whetū
Location: External façade of Te Waihorotiu Station, facing the Herald Theatre
Dates: From Wednesday, 8 July until Friday, 25 September 2026
Times: Nightly from approximately 30 minutes before sunset until midnight
Cost: Free
Huihui Whetū is part of Auckland Live's Matariki ki te Manawa programme within Auckland Council Events' Matariki Festival 2026.


NOTES

About Auckland Live
Auckland Live is the premier organisation for performing arts, culture, entertainment and events in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, presenting a vibrant and diverse programme of live arts and experiences across Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest network of iconic venues and public spaces, including the Aotea Centre, The Civic, Auckland Town Hall, Viaduct Events Centre, Bruce Mason Centre, Aotea Square, The Cloud, Shed 10, Queens Wharf, Te Komititanga and locations throughout the city centre; as part of Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, a council-controlled organisation, Auckland Live champions creativity, supports artists and communities, and helps shape Auckland as a dynamic, inclusive and globally connected cultural destination.

About Ngāti Tamaoho
Ngāti Tamaoho are of Te Waiohua and Waikato descent, located between Te Mānukanuka o Hoturoa (Manukau Harbour), Āwhitu and Te Pūaha O Waikato (the lower Waikato River). Ngāti Tamaoho are proud to be Iwi manaaki bringing Matariki alongside Auckland Council Events for everyone to celebrate.

About Auckland Council Events
Auckland Council Events are events supported by the Auckland Council Group, including local boards and council-controlled organisations, recognising events supported by Auckland ratepayer funding. This support can include investment, delivery or promotion of events, to bring our communities together, celebrate Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland’s identity and deliver social and economic benefits.   

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Monthly consumers price index – updates on progress

Source: Statistics New Zealand

Monthly consumers price index – updates on progress

29 June 2026

We have added the June 2026 update to Monthly consumers price index – updates on progress on the Stats NZ website.

This page summarises the approach and updates to the development of the monthly consumers price index (CPI).

We will continue to update this page as we make progress on delivering a monthly CPI.

Visit our website to read the latest update: