PM Edition: Top 10 Business Articles on LiveNews.co.nz for April 4, 2026 – Full Text

Source: Radio New Zealand

Explainer – As the war between Iran and the United States and Israel enters its second month, New Zealand is feeling the pinch at the petrol pump. But what other everyday items could face possible shortages if the conflict escalates?

We all know about the rising cost of fuel and the immense impact diesel prices will have on the entire country’s infrastructure, but there are several other everyday necessities that could be hit by a prolonged war.

Only 0.6 percent, or $642 million, of New Zealand’s total imports are sourced from Middle Eastern countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade notes in its most recent report on supply chains and the Iran conflict.

But because of the intricate network of supply chains that make up the global economy, there’s no easy way for New Zealand to avoid the impacts being felt worldwide.

Dr Sarah Marshall is a senior lecturer at the University of Auckland business school and director of the university’s Centre for Supply Chain Management.

“I think the Iran conflict has highlighted vulnerability in our supply chains, but in many ways Covid-19 already did that,” she said.

“Since 2020 there’s been a much stronger awareness in New Zealand of what a supply chain actually is and how exposed we are to global disruptions.”

“If fuel prices continue to rise or supply is disrupted, that feeds through into almost every stage of the supply chain. Each stage faces higher costs, and those are eventually passed on to consumers.”

University of Auckland economics professor Robert MacCulloch said if the war carries on, it could potentially be an oil shock on the scale of the 1970s.

“I don’t think it’s overblown to say that potentially the effects are going to be enormous,” he said. “In this country it inspired in the ’70s the government of Rob Muldoon to change the whole national strategy.”

“We can see you can be held to ransom maybe by someone who’s very critical in that supply chain.”

Here are some of the everyday staples that could face more supply and cost issues because of war in the Middle East.

Food

One of the biggest impacts we’re already starting to see is how much we pay at the grocery store.

Eat New Zealand chief executive Angela Clifford recently told RNZ’s Nine to Noon that she would like to see more investment in keep locally produced food on the shelves, rather than imported food.

The recently announced closure of plants by food processors Wattie’s and McCain’s was also troubling, she said.

“We have continued to see the lack of ownership of our food system increase over recent years. You know, we have no security plan, no vision to feed our own people.

“In food systems we talk about the need for redundancy – that is so we don’t find ourselves in a situation with just a few manufacturers, because if anything goes wrong, say like a global fuel crisis, it means that you run out of options.”

A food security plan should include a point that “we value feeding our own people first, and we would work hard to make sure that we would continue to have food for New Zealanders.”

And we should all be careful to avoid the kind of frantic panic-buying that left toilet paper shelves empty during the pandemic, Marshall said.

“We saw during Covid that if demand spikes unexpectedly, it can turn a manageable situation into a real shortage. This often gets amplified as that surge in demand moves through the supply chain, so panic buying can make things worse.”

Shortages could most likely come from foods that are imported or require imported products for production.

Which brings us to …

Fertilisers

Fertilisers are essential for food production and New Zealand gets nearly 22 percent of its overall supply from the Middle East, according to MFAT.

Around half of the world’s urea – the most widely used fertiliser – and large amounts of other fertilisers are exported through the Strait of Hormuz.

“There have been shortages before and farmers can use different products, they normally are more expensive but we have never got to the point where we’ve run out of fertiliser,” Federated Farmers arable chair David Birkett told RNZ recently.

“Farmers should start planning ahead – talk with their fertiliser companies to give them an idea of what demand will be like come spring time.”

Medicines and medical supplies

Pharmac said this week it was closely monitoring potential medicine supply risks due to the war.

The Iran war has affected the global supply of a range of raw ingredients, and there were warnings recently that the UK is “weeks away” from possible shortages of everything from painkillers to cancer treatments.

Pharmac said a small number of supply issues had been identified so far and there were currently no problems stemming from those for New Zealanders. It said it was working with suppliers, Health New Zealand, Medsafe, and the logistics sector to identify risks early and secure alternative products if necessary.

Substances few people would think about may be caught up in the war – for instance, the Middle East is a key producer of helium gas, and supplies for it are used in MRI machines and the semiconductor sector.

“The best example of where it gets delicate is in medicine,” MacCulloch said.

“There was concern that there could be great shortages in helium and MRI scans… We’re reliant on these sorts of gases which we may have to import. We’re not able to achieve total self sufficiency in that sense.”

Aluminium

Good old lightweight aluminium is a key component in transport, construction, electronics and packaging, just to name a few.

New Zealand gets about 9 percent of its aluminium from the Middle East, MFAT says.

And prices for the prized metal have hit four-year highs this week after Iran launched airstrikes at major production facilities in Bahrain and the UAE.

Plastics

The famous quote from Dustin Hoffman’s movie The Graduate is “There’s a great future in plastics. Think about it.”

Unfortunately for the immediate future, oil is basically how plastic is made, with 99 percent of plastics and polymers made using fossil fuels.

Prices of plastics used in everything from machine parts to toys have risen to their highest price in years.

Anything that’s made from polyethylene, a petroleum-based material which is the most widely used plastic in the world, is likely to be hit if the war drags on.

“The last 20 or 30 years so many products, components of them, are made in so many different countries,” MacCulloch said.

“And you know, this was lauded as a wonderful success of international trade and free trade. And we’re beginning, maybe, to see the limitations of that.”

Disposable cutlery, bottled drinks and garbage bags could be among the first to rise in the coming weeks, Patrick Penfield, a professor of supply chain practice at Syracuse University, told CNN recently.

Reuters reported that between US$20 to $25 billion (NZ$35 to $43 billion) of petrochemical products pass through the strait annually.

…And so many other oil-based products

Paint, road bitumen, clothing, cleaning products, electronics – it’s all part of the great supply chain that makes the world go round and while alternative energy sources are out there, oil is still the primary grease that keeps that chain turning.

The Warehouse Group chief executive Mark Stirton told The Post this week that the retailers were monitoring the crisis closely. “We haven’t been notified of any major delays, but there’s no stock shortages,” he said.

In truth, the list of things that could end being affected by a prolonged war and supply chain constrictions is close to endless.

For instance, 7.2 percent of New Zealand’s jewellery supply is imported from the Middle East, MFAT says.

So what should we as consumers do next?

“I think expectations are already starting to shift,” Marshall said.

“For a long time we’ve been used to goods being relatively cheap and consistently available, but that has relied on a fairly stable global environment. What we’re seeing now is not a breakdown of global trade, but more volatility in how it operates.”

MacCulloch said successive New Zealand governments of both National and Labour have failed to build supply chain resilience.

“They’ve had 50 years to prepare for this shock, you know, half a century.”

He noted that Labour and the Greens when in power shut down oil and gas exploration and closed Marsden Point, while National and its partners have pulled back on electric vehicles and incentives for alternative energies.

“For government, the focus should be on resilience,” Marshall said.

“That means making sure supply chains are as diverse as possible, thinking about strategic reserves for critical goods, and supporting domestic capability where it makes sense.

“Clear communication is also important. Uncertainty can drive overreaction, so giving people a realistic sense of risk helps avoid unnecessary pressure on the system.”

As a potential inspiration going forward in an uncertain time, MacCulloch cited the work of the late American economist Richard Easterlin, who explored the intersections of wellbeing and economics.

“He was a great believer in the idea that people had gone too far with materialism, buying a lot of consumer stuff they didn’t really need.

“Anything you don’t really need, any consumables that are not really necessary to your quality of life, I think drop. It’s not the time to spend on things that you maybe don’t really, really need.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

As Northland recovers from another storm, officials in Wellington are trying to fix the disaster warning and communications systems that have failed repeatedly for two decades.

The systems came up short in Cyclone Gabrielle when people did not get alerts in time and rescuers often had to guess what was going on.

They have got further than ever before on what they are calling “a once in a generation opportunity to significantly uplift the supporting systems”.

Several business cases are ready to build the technology – such as a national warning system – and a review found the phased approach was sound.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) told RNZ it was “moving to the delivery phase” of the five-year programme.

But warning signs have also been flashing.

The latest review released under the Official Information Act (OIA), from six months ago, said the project was “feasible, but significant issues already exist” that demanded “constant and high-level attention” so that risks did not “materialise into major issues threatening delivery”.

At that stage, last September, the business cases appeared to have “substantially underestimated” how much technical, operational and cultural capability had to be built.

“The review team heard that critical questions remain unanswered regarding the fundamental information architecture: what data will be stored, how it will be gathered systematically, and crucially, how it will be transformed into actionable intelligence rather than merely aggregated information.”

Having rated the project amber – on a red-amber-green scale – the ‘Gateway’ review listed six “do now” urgent tasks to resolve them, including a risk assessment.

That assessment, released under the OIA, showed a “high” and ongoing risk of major impact if a national disaster hit while the new systems were still being built over the next five years.

The system ‘will not cope’

The system gaps have proven fatal before when people have not been warned in time, or rescued from their roofs in time, by emergency responders flying partly blind by lack of proper real-time shared data systems, epitomised in Cyclone Gabrielle and the failed response in the Esk Valley.

It goes way back. In 2004, a review said the existing national crisis management centre information system “will not cope with a national emergency of a magnitude, scale or duration greater than the recent February 2004 floods”.

Two decades on, last July NEMA told companies at a ‘town hall’ to learn what the tech options were: “Over the past 20 years, there’s been numerous reports highlighting the need for improved technology. Our technology is not fit for the fit for purpose for the sector.

“NEMA does not have a suitable modern platform for delivering its core functions before, during, and after a response.

“NEMA currently relies on a mix of disparate basic collaboration tools which are highly manual, prone to error, and can create risk during an emergency.”

Basically, it faced disasters with little situational awareness, it told MPs in 2024, a year after Gabrielle.

‘Anchor’ programme

RNZ asked for the most substantive and up-to-date documents. The agency withheld four business cases on confidentiality and commercial grounds. Asked for advice and briefings to ministers since last October, NEMA advised there were none within the specified timeframe.

It told the companies: “There is real enthusiasm within the sector to finally be able to go and improve our information and management systems, to support the sector, to keep New Zealanders safe and improve community resilience before, during and after an event.”

It was “very interested” in the cost and told the businesses to provide rough figures that nevertheless would not need much tweaking.

The Emergency Management Sector Operational Systems Programme runs from 2026 for five years. Described as the “anchor” project of the government’s work to strengthen emergency management, it is still subject to policy work, legislation and funding.

It includes setting up:

• a foundational data platform that is a a consolidated “single source of the truth” across local, regional and national emergency management agencies;
• a standardised national visualisation tool called a common operating picture, or COP;
• a national warning system;
• operational systems for NEMA to nationally coordinate response and recovery.

In September, the agency found a preferred solution for all this but details were scarce as the business cases were withheld.

‘More intractable’

However, as big as the tech build appeared – and that work demonstrated “considerable sophistication” – the even more crucial work was “more intractable” and in fact beyond NEMA as things stood, the review last September said.

“The organisational foundations necessary for successful delivery remain underdeveloped,” it said.

“The contrast between technical readiness and institutional capacity presents the programme’s most significant strategic challenge.”

The long patchy history of disaster response had led to the 16 Civil Defence Emergency Management Groups nationwide sometimes doing their own thing and implementing “part solutions” that did not fit with others.

For instance, in 2011 when central Civil Defence introduced new disaster tech, it struggled to “convince the nationwide CDEM (Civil Defence Emergency Management) sector to fully uptake the tool”. By 2013 the groups were failing to turn up at meetings, official reports showed.

Fifteen years on, and “fundamental cultural transformation across the entire emergency management system” was essential, the September review said.

“The proposed shift from fragmented, agency-centric operational models toward integrated, sector-wide coordination represents not merely a technical upgrade but a comprehensive reimagining of institutional relationships and working practices that have evolved over decades.

“This cultural transformation challenge may prove more intractable than the technical implementation aspects.”

It warned Wellington not to lose support of the groups that had begun to buy in on the current overhaul.

“The phrase ‘don’t go dark on us and then expect us to reheat the meal’ resonated with the Review Team.”

Timeline

• 2004, 2017, 2020 – Inquiries into flood responses find big disaster system gaps. Various patchy tech systems are set up over the years.
• 2023 – Gabrielle and the North Island storms spark 26 separate inquiries.
• 2024 – NEMA develops a business case for implementing recommendations of those inquiries.
• 2025 – NEMA asks tech companies for advice, develops business cases – and a Gateway review delivers warnings.
• 2026 – The five-year Emergency Management Sector Operational Systems Programme official begins.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Media Outreach

JAKARTA, INDONESIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 3 April 2026 – Green SM Indonesia and Bank Central Asia (BCA) today announced the signing of a five-year investment loan agreement with a total value of IDR 600 billion, marking the formalization of a long-term financial partnership between the two parties.

The agreement marks the next phase of cooperation between Green SM Indonesia and BCA, reflecting a shared commitment to supporting sustainable, well-governed business development in Indonesia’s urban mobility sector.

The investment loan facility is intended to support Green SM Indonesia’s operational readiness and service continuity. The facility provides a stable financial structure to underpin the company’s disciplined growth approach and support consistent service delivery across its existing urban operations.

The signing builds on earlier cooperation between the two parties, which began with Green SM’s market launch in Jakarta in December 2024. Since then, BCA and Green SM Indonesia have collaborated on customer-focused programs and initiatives to improve service accessibility and raise awareness of environmentally responsible transportation solutions. The transition from cooperation activities to a formal financing arrangement reflects the maturation of this partnership and BCA’s support in Green SM Indonesia’s operational model and governance standards.

The cooperation also reflects BCA’s broader role in supporting business sectors that are adapting to evolving urban development needs, including shifts toward more efficient and forward-looking mobility solutions.

Representing BCA, Mr. Denny Haryanto, SVP Corporate Banking BCA said: “This agreement reflects our approach to supporting businesses with a long-term outlook. Sustainable transportation is increasingly important to Indonesia’s urban development. Through this cooperation, we support initiatives that align with long-term economic resilience and environmental responsibility.”

Mr. Deny Tjia, Managing Director of Green SM Indonesia, said the agreement reflects trust built through consistent cooperation and shared values. “The investment loan agreement reflects recognition of the disciplined operating model and long-term development orientation that Green SM Indonesia has pursued since its early stages. The facility further strengthens the company’s financial foundation, supporting stable and consistent service delivery across the cities where it operates.”

Since commencing operations, Green SM Indonesia has established a presence in several major urban centers, including Jakarta, Makassar, Bekasi, Surabaya, and Bali. These cities face increasingly complex urban mobility requirements alongside rising expectations for cleaner, more responsible transport solutions. In the Indonesian market, Green SM provides all-electric taxi services that support routine urban travel while reducing emissions and noise. The company’s operating approach emphasizes reliability, professional service standards, and scalability aligned with city-level transport planning.

Through this agreement, Green SM Indonesia and BCA reaffirm their shared view that the transition to sustainable urban mobility requires not only electric vehicle technology but also sound financial structures, responsible governance, and long-term commitment. The investment loan agreement is a practical step to support that transition in Indonesia’s evolving mobility landscape.

Hashtag: #GreenSM

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

Source: New Zealand Government

A member’s bill reforming alcohol laws comes into force at midnight tonight, providing much-needed regulatory relief and clarity for the hospitality sector just in time for the Easter long weekend, says Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee.

The Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Sales on Anzac Day Morning, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, and Christmas Day) Amendment Bill, put forward by Hon. Kieran McAnulty, received Royal Assent today.

“As the Minister responsible for the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act, I want to provide clear guidance to hospitality businesses about what this change means in practice,” says Mrs McKee.

The Ministry of Justice has published guidance on their website for the benefit of those involved in the alcohol regulatory system. 

“Thanks to this law, and a common-sense amendment from ACT MP Cameron Luxton, bars and pubs will no longer be forced to close at midnight tonight, or wait until 12.01am on Saturday morning to open.

“This is a practical fix that removes confusion and inconsistency between alcohol laws and shop trading restrictions.

“It also removes outdated requirements at restaurants and cafes for customers to order a ‘substantial meal’, and restrictions preventing alcohol from being served more than an hour before or after eating.

“Businesses that hold an on-licence can now operate under their normal licence conditions across Good Friday and Easter Sunday, as well as Anzac Day morning and Christmas Day.

“We are aware of some businesses that have been planning to open or host events this weekend, but have had concerns raised about whether doing so would be lawful, or whether they can even promote events that are conditional on the law being passed.

“This change makes it clear: those businesses can now proceed with confidence that they can operate under their normal licence conditions, without fear of falling foul of the law.

“Regulatory agencies are aware of the changes and will apply the new law from midnight tonight.

“Any business experiencing difficulties or being advised otherwise is encouraged to contact my office directly via my email N.McKee@ministers.govt.nz which will be monitored over the weekend.”

Mrs McKee says the change provides long-overdue certainty for the sector.

“This is huge for hospitality, especially after a rough few years, and something I’ve been keen to see fixed for some time.

“In practical terms, it means treating Kiwis like adults. These days are important to many New Zealanders, but people should be free to recognise them in their own way.

“No business will be forced to open, and no one will be required to drink. This is about restoring choice.”

ACT MP Cameron Luxton was responsible for the amendment ensuring bars and pubs can continue trading past midnight.

“I put forward this amendment after realising that the opening night of Christchurch’s new Te Kaha Stadium would have been cut short by outdated alcohol laws on Anzac weekend,” says Mr Luxton.

“This change will also benefit hospitality businesses on other restricted trading days, including Good Friday and Easter Sunday this weekend.

“Taxpayers and Christchurch ratepayers have invested hundreds of millions of dollars into this stadium, in part to drive economic activity and showcase the city.

“It would have made no sense to undermine that opportunity during the opening weekend, when 10 Super Rugby teams and tens of thousands of supporters will be in town, simply because the day after opening falls on Anzac Day.”

Mrs McKee says the change will also improve public safety.

“The last thing we want is large numbers of people being pushed out onto the streets all at once at midnight. That creates unnecessary risk, particularly with large crowds and international visitors who may not understand what’s going on.

“Allowing venues to operate under their normal trading hours means people can leave gradually and safely, rather than all at once.

“This is a good example of MPs across Parliament working together to fix what matters and solve practical problems for New Zealanders. I hope to see more of this.”

Notes to editors:

• The Ministry of Justice has published the attached fact sheet here: https://www.justice.govt.nz/about/news-and-media/news/changes-to-alcohol-sales-on-restricted-trading-days/
• As originally drafted, Kieran McAnulty’s member’s bill would allow businesses to sell alcohol under their normal licence conditions every day of the year – but only if their principal business is selling food (i.e. restaurants and cafes). Many bars and pubs don’t fit this requirement and therefore would be forced to remain closed under separate Shop Trading Hours Act restrictions relating to alcohol. Cameron Luxton’s amendment overrides the Shop Trading Hours Act restrictions in this narrow situation.

MIL OSI

Source: Radio New Zealand

The government’s mega-ministry is backing down from work from home policy a day before the matter was scheduled for court, the Public Service Association (PSA) says.

The union filed legal action last year after a Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) policy restricting flexible work arrangements was introduced.

The flexible work policy was intended to align with the government’s directive to restrict flexible work arrangements for public service workers, including reducing days working from home.

The PSA claimed the rules ignored existing provisions under the collective agreement.

MBIE lodged a memorandum on Tuesday with the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) which accepted the PSA’s position.

PSA national secretary Fleur Fitzsimmons said an ERA hearing set down for Wednesday and Thursday had been abandoned.

“This is great news for workers who argued all along that MBIE had no right to restrict their right to flexible work arrangements under the collective agreement,” she said.

The ERA would issue a consent determination of a resolution the PSA sought, which accepted MBIE’s flexible work policy and procedures were inconsistent with the collective agreement, Fitzsimmons said.

“This is a victory for MBIE workers and shows the power of a union to challenge an employer who threatens worker rights. ACC backed down too last year when it too backed from limiting working from home in the face of the concerns of workers and the PSA,” she said.

“This capitulation is a damning indictment of MBIE which had enforced the policy with some staff since last year. MBIE denied it was in breach, delaying the hearing at the Authority on numerous occasions. It refused to withdraw the policy. It refused to engage constructively. It went through three rounds of failed mediation. And then, on the eve of the hearing, it folded. Workers deserve an apology.”

The PSA said it would raise personal grievances for any worker disadvantaged by the policy.

Fitzsimmons did not rule out further legal action against other MBIE guidelines that breached the collective agreement., including a revised version of its flexible working policy.

“This is just ridiculous. MBIE still fails to understand that the collective agreement enshrines the ‘flexible by default’ approach common across the public sector. ‘Flexible by default’ is an important right, it means employees have a right to flexible work arrangements which suit their individual circumstances unless there is a good business reason not to,” she said.

MBIE has been approached for comment.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: New Zealand Government

Legislation preventing future governments from concealing the extent of fiscal risks in government accounts passed through its final stages in Parliament today.

Finance Minister Nicola Willis says the Public Finance Amendment Act requires economic and fiscal updates prepared by the Treasury to include a statement of specific fiscal risks. 

“When I became Finance Minister, I discovered several risks were not clear in those statements. An example was the time-limited funding for Pharmac medicines on which thousands of New Zealanders rely.

“While the Treasury has now categorised and described those fiscal risks – which includes identifying time-limited funding and capital cost escalations – this law change makes that categorisation a requirement.

“The Act also removes the need for Treasury to report on ‘wellbeing’.

“Building a strong economy and delivering better public services advances the country’s wellbeing. Therefore, the Treasury needs to focus on its core purpose – economic and fiscal advice – not hazy feel-good ideas that sound nice, but don’t deliver better outcomes for New Zealanders.”

The Act also brings the date for the delivery of the Pre-Election Economic and Fiscal Update (PREFU) forward by five working days.

“The PREFU helps to ensure voters can make informed choices at the election. Bringing the date forward gives them more time to weigh up the choices available to them,” Nicola Willis says.

The PREFU forecasts the economic outlook for New Zealand, and the government’s fiscal outlook.

The Act will be in force by July 1 2026.

MIL OSI

Source: New Zealand Government

Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay has wrapped up negotiations as Vice Chair at the 14th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

“Disappointingly, proposals to reform the WTO and to extend the WTO-wide prohibition on the imposition of tariffs on digital trade flows could not be agreed in time,” Mr McClay says.

“However, all Members agreed the WTO needs to be modernised.

“An agreement on the final package is in reach and securing these decisions through further work in Geneva will now be the priority for New Zealand.”

Mr McClay also met with counterparts from 17 countries during the conference, including the United States, India, China, European Union, United Arab Emirates
and Saudi Arabia.

“While fuel supplies remain healthy for New Zealand, I took the opportunity to meet with Ministers from Singapore, and Korea, as well as Heads of Delegation from Saudi Arabia and Malaysia, to discuss critical fuel supply chains,” Mr McClay says.

Progressing the implementation of a new Electronic Commerce Agreement, underpinning approximately US$159 billion in trade, was agreed to by 66 WTO Members – who between them account for 70 per cent of global trade.

“This significant outcome will provide more predictability to our small businesses and exporters including through a permanent ban on tariffs on digital trade flows between the parties,” Mr McClay says.

“New Zealand also continues to pursue progress on negotiations to limit fisheries and agricultural subsidies, which are a significant issue in reducing our exporters’ returns.”

Labour Party Trade and Export Growth spokesperson Damien O’Connor joined the New Zealand delegation.

MIL OSI

Source: Radio New Zealand

Legislation to ease alcohol restrictions on public holidays has passed in its third and final reading at Parliament – and could be passed into law in time for this Easter weekend.

It is possible it may receive royal assent on Thursday, meaning some restrictions on Good Friday and Easter Sunday alcohol sales could be gone as soon as this long weekend.

The member’s bill from Labour MP Kieran McAnulty amends the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act to allow premises that are already open on Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Anzac Day morning and Christmas Day to sell alcohol under normal licence conditions.

Currently, bars or restaurants can only sell alcohol if the patron is “residing or lodging” on the premises, or “present on the premises to dine”.

McAnulty said the legislation would clear up a “confusing law” that had been in place for a long time.

“Just because something’s always been that way doesn’t mean that that’s a good reason to keep it,” he said.

The general requirement is that patrons have to order a ‘substantial meal’, but McAnulty said that was not defined, and patrons were not required to eat it anyway.

“That is a bit of a farce of a situation. So all we’re doing is clearing it up that those businesses that are already able to operate anyway can do so under normal conditions, and those that can’t like off-licences and supermarkets, they remain restricted, but for those on-licences that are already operating, they can do so normally.”

McAnulty said the timing was a “sticking point,” but as some government bills were scheduled to receive royal assent on Thursday he was hopeful his could be included alongside those.

“It’s quite fortuitous timing, I think, the way that it’s played out. And really, we’re at the mercy and availability of Her Excellency, and I’m not of a mind to flick a text to the governor-general and ask for a solid, so I’m quite happy with the way that it’s played out, and hopefully it does follow through.”

Parliament treats alcohol legislation as a conscience matter, meaning MPs vote according to their personal view or what they think is best for their electorate or community, rather than as a party bloc.

McAnulty’s original intent was to allow any premises that was allowed to operate on those public holidays to sell alcohol, which would have included supermarkets but not bottle shops.

But he said it was changed to keep things simple, and only apply it to on-licence venues.

“It’s proven to be the right decision, because we’ve maintained enough support in Parliament,” he said.

“I know that if we’d stuck with off-licences or supermarkets, there are people that would have withdrawn their support, and it probably wouldn’t have passed.”

An amendment proposed by ACT MP Cameron Luxton has been adopted into the bill.

Luxton’s amendment means bars can open after midnight on Anzac and Easter holidays.

The ACT MP was hopeful it would be in place in time for the Super Round at Christchurch’s new stadium, which will see 10 Super Rugby teams play over the weekend of 24 to 26 April.

Luxton said it would mean punters coming to enjoy the new stadium were not kicked out at midnight for Anzac Day.

“It’s a huge opening that Christchurch is going to be able to make a great deal out of.”

He said it would change the “you don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here” regime currently in place.

“Who knows what’s happening on the streets after that? This bill will enable licensed premises with safety procedures and alcohol policies in place to continue giving people the entertainment, the nightlife that they would like in a responsible and safe way.”

McAnulty said Luxton’s amendment was consistent with the intention of the bill, and he was happy to support it.

“I know that the hospitality businesses in Christchurch are very happy about that, because when their stadium opens and people leave, they won’t have to then be kicked out of the hospitality businesses at midnight because it’s Anzac Day the following day.”

McAnulty, a Catholic, was less concerned with religious opposition to the bill, but understood why people might be opposed on health grounds.

“It’s a valid concern, but because the bill only targets those on-licensed premises that are already able to operate, it’s actually not going to expand the number of premises that can provide alcohol. It just means they don’t have to jump through these ridiculous hoops in order to be able to do it.”

This is not the only piece of legislation that would liberalise alcohol trading laws to pass through Parliament this term.

The government is working through its own piece of legislation to allow restaurants with on-site retail spaces to sell take-home alcoholic beverages, if they also sell takeaway food or non-alcoholic beverages prepared by the business.

Luxton’s own member’s bill to repeal alcohol restrictions on Good Friday and Easter Sunday was voted down at first reading in 2024. That bill would have repealed Good Friday and Easter Sunday as restricted trading days altogether.

Luxton said McAnulty’s bill was “dealing with an element” of what his bill had set out to do.

Another bill by National’s Stuart Smith to allow winery cellar doors to charge visitors for samples and add off-licence categories for wineries holding an on-licence passed successfully through the House in 2024.

Law a ‘fly in the ointment’

Mike Egan, president of the Restaurant Association and co-owner of restaurant Monsoon Poon, said the present law was a “relic from the 1800s” and a “fly in the ointment” for businesses like his.

“The rule is you’re meant to partake in a substantial meal in a pub over Easter on the Friday, and tourists are sort of like, ‘Oh, we’ve eaten, we just all come here for a nightcap,’ or, ‘We just want to have a snack, and you know, we’re wandering around town trying different restaurants and cafes’, and it’s like, ‘No, I’m really sorry, you need to have another meal…’

“People will order a whole meal and not even eat it because the law doesn’t say they actually have to eat it, they just have to have it sitting there in front of them. It’s just a little bit old-fashioned.”

He said the law change would not result in “all this debauchery on Good Friday”.

“[Customers] just want to have a beer in the afternoon after they’ve had a bike ride down the vineyards, you know? So it’s very sort of frustrating trying to police this legislation.”

He said staff would no longer have to act as police officers, checking how much food each customer had ordered if the bill was passed.

“It’ll just make it sort of easier and it’ll just flow like a regular weekend. It will boost business [and] take away a lot of confusion.”

Families struggling with alcohol harm would be worse off – public health adviser

Senior health promotion adviser at Alcohol HealthWatch, Sarah Sneyd, told Checkpoint, she understood people may see it as a small change but it was one that would ever so slightly make access to alcohol easier.

“We have some data from police and emergency departments that show there are fewer alcohol related assaults and ED presentations over the Easter break and that could very well be because it’s harder to access alcohol.”

Sneyd believed there would be real repercussions from changing the restrictions.

“I think it really speaks to a symptom of a deeper problem in our culture we can’t even go a couple of days without access to alcohol. Once again we make it easier to access alcohol on the couple of days where there are some restrictions around it.

“This is not what we hear communities want.”

Sneyd said New Zealand was “saturated” with alcohol and it was a problem with very few protections.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Rural GPs are already facing challenges because of [https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/591089/fuel-cost-jumps-40-in-a-week-who-s-feeling-it-most rising fuel prices and some are stocking up on extra medical supplies.

Ōpōtiki-based GP and clinical director of Pinnacle Midlands Health Network, Dr Jo Scott-Jones, has spoken to rural GPs about how fuel increases are affecting them.

He said doctors going out on prime calls – when GPs escort the ambulance service during emergency callouts – were already facing added costs.

“They’re already seeing the impact of the fuel prices on filling up the prime car, and they’re reflecting that there have been no increasing prime payments to help them with additional cost.

And Scott-Jones said GPs were preparing in other ways as well.

“People are looking ahead at potential stock issues and starting to order stock and medical supplies over and above what they would normally carry this time of year.

“They’re worried about suppliers and potentially cost of deliveries into the rural communities into the future as well.”

Scott-Jones said he knew of patients reluctant to drive to Waikato Hospital, and at his own practice more people were asking to speak to a doctor through their digital services.

He added that some practices were starting to ramp up their telehealth services, similar to what happened during the Covid pandemic, to minimise travel costs for patients.

“It would be great to see the hospital services thinking about this as well, for those patients who are coming in for a follow-up for outpatients as well.

“The Midlands region where I do most of my work, it can be several hours of driv[ing] to get to the hospital and then several hours to get back. Those additional costs are really significant.”

He supported the government’s $50 payment to help families with additional fuel costs.

However, he also wanted an urgent review of the current transport arrangements and support for patients who need to go into hospital.

“If we can help target really necessary medically important travel through a transport scheme, that would be really useful.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

It’s 9am on a Thursday as the rain hammers rooftops and a strong wind shakes down leaves.

Inside, Tasha Langi is busily preparing an order and chatting away with an audience of 64 on her phone screen.

“Do you still work with BBM? We don’t work with them, but we always see them,” she answered a question from one viewer.

“Nice and easy this morning. My baby wanted me to just sit with him last night, so I had to start the bulk orders a little bit later than usual,” she said as she gave the viewers a glimpse into her life.

Tasha is among a growing group of Kiwis who are turning to TikTok livestreams to promote their businesses.

According to TikTok, two million people watch livestreams across Australia and New Zealand, but exactly how many Kiwis are broadcasting their lives live remains unclear.

Tasha and her husband, James run a protein dessert company, Fit Prepp, from Manurewa.

James said they were social media savvy, but livestreaming was a new territory.

“We’ve only done live streaming for two weeks now and we’re still learning, but we enjoy it. When you’re putting your face and who you are behind (the business) it builds another relationship. It builds something better.”

They started going live after customers suggested it, and it’s already paying off with new orders and memorable interactions.

Tasha said recently, a customer and her father visited them after watching their content.

“She came down with her dad and got our tubs and that was really nice. She said her and her dad had been watching us for months and months. He’s been cheering us on from afar. And then she sent me a heartfelt email because she just felt like we were a part of her family in the way we just brought her into our home and expressed our gratitude.”

Palmerston North-based artist Emilie Geant who livestreams her art making process has a theory why livestreaming is different from other social media promotions.

“The issue with social media is everyone is only showing the shiny part of being an artist. I like that on TikTok that’s a little bit less shiny. People are a bit more real and genuine. I think people need to understand that running an art business, it looks really cool, but it’s actually a lot of work, a lot of admin work.”

She said showing the “less shiny” part of her work broke down the barrier between an artist and the customer.

“It’s not just a painting, it’s a person behind the painting. (In my livestreams) I’m explaining why I’m doing what I’m doing, why I’m making the choice visually. So people get attached more emotionally and I had more followers thanks to the livestreams, and also more sales online.”

And livestreaming itself has become an important revenue stream for some creators.

Lower Hutt musician Charles Humphreys has been livestreaming since 2022, showcasing his work up to five times a week.

“It’s multi-level rewarding. I will get paid from the TikTok stream. I will get rewarded by people listening to my original music, which is out there. I will get rewarded by the fan base growing. I’m also making great connections with other artists around the world.”

While most days he has an audience in the hundreds, one Tuesday he hosted a crowd of 9000 for 12 minutes.

His livestreams are so popular that they attracted the attention of TikTok, who asked him to be the opening act for this year’s TikTok Live Fest in Las Vegas.

Humphreys said some times, he can make close to $10,000 a month, while he made very little on others.

But he prepares for each streaming session equally with a full suit, professional sound equipment, and a studio filled with neon lights.

“I’m not there playing a game. I’m absolutely there 100 percent to perform. One day you got an audience of 100 and you make $6000. And another day you might find that you’re talking to some place in the world where money’s not so good. But you still perform anyway because they deserve it as well.”

Livestreaming has helped him reach audiences from all over the world, all walks of life. “Some of them can’t go anywhere. Some of them just feel like, you know what, I’m never going to make it to a concert hall. I can’t afford $200 to go and see whoever the artist is, but I can afford to give a little bit of time on TikTok to Charles. And he makes me feel like there’s a little bit of hope in the world and there is a place where I can be happy and we can have a laugh.”

And if you are aching to showcase your talent, Humphreys has a piece of advice.

“So if you’re one of those people who feels like they’d like to share something about themselves, just do it. Forget the intimidation, forget the feeling of not being able to or not being capable. Just do it.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand