PM Edition: Top 10 Business Articles on LiveNews.co.nz for April 25, 2026 – Full Text

Source: New Zealand Government

Minister of Finance Nicola Willis today met with Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers in Brisbane for the annual Australia-New Zealand Treasurer and Finance Minister dialogue.

The meeting comes as governments across the region respond to fuel supply disruption and price pressures caused by conflict in the Middle East, and included discussion on the global economic outlook, trans-Tasman economic integration, and practical cooperation to strengthen fuel security. 

“New Zealand and Australia are working closely together to manage the impacts of global events on our economies and on household budgets,” Nicola Willis says.

Minister Willis and Treasurer Chalmers agreed officials would continue regular engagement on fuel market conditions, supply chain developments, price pressures, and financial system resilience, including ongoing coordination to ensure markets, banks and relevant agencies are well prepared for geopolitical and economic shocks.

“Families and businesses expect governments to be practical and focused during periods of disruption. That means measured responses that are timely, temporary and targeted, rather than policies that add to inflation or create long-term fiscal costs,” Nicola Willis says.

Minister Willis and Treasurer Chalmers discussed the impact of higher fuel and freight costs on the Pacific and agreed that assistance should continue with international partners, including the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, while being carefully targeted to where it can make the greatest difference.

The meeting also focused on lifting growth and productivity through closer economic integration. Minister Willis and Treasurer Chalmers welcomed progress under the Single Economic Market agenda and agreed to progress further practical measures that make it easier to do business across the Tasman and wider region.

“New Zealand and Australia have one of the closest economic relationships in the world. Stronger integration means greater resilience during global shocks, more trade, more investment, and more opportunities for businesses and workers in both countries,” Nicola Willis says.

Minister Willis also joined Treasurer Chalmers for a business discussion hosted by the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum (ANZLF), and will join the Treasurer tomorrow at Anzac Day commemorations in Logan City to pay tribute to those who have served, and those who continue to serve.

MIL OSI

Source: Media Outreach

JOHOR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 24 April 2026 – BizPal Malaysia hosted BizPal Day 2026, an invite-only event bringing together investors, SME founders, and ecosystem partners in Johor, where the company formally introduced CapitalOS, its corporate finance platform, and signed Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with Malaysian partners My Education Platform and VA Partners.

Held at deMori @ FCC Signature, the event featured a live platform demonstration, partner showcase, and networking sessions aimed at facilitating engagement between founders, advisors, and investors.

Introducing CapitalOS

CapitalOS, BizPal’s corporate finance platform, was presented through a live demonstration during the event. The system integrates operational, brand, and financial data into a structured framework designed to support investor readiness and due diligence.

According to BizPal, the platform is intended to help SMEs organise their business information into formats aligned with investor expectations, enabling clearer communication during fundraising discussions.

“SMEs should never walk into a funding conversation unsure of their numbers,” said Ms. Anya Tan, CEO of BizPal Malaysia.

MOUs Expand Distribution Network

The event also included the signing of Memoranda of Understanding between BizPal and two Malaysian partners, My Education Platform and VA Partners. Both organisations will serve as authorised distributors of BizPal’s education and advisory programmes across Malaysia.

The partnerships expand BizPal’s reach within the SME ecosystem by working with local organisations that support business development and capability building.

“Partnering with BizPal allows us to introduce structured, investor-ready methodologies to the SME community we serve,” said Mr. Jeff Lee, Director, My Education Platform.

A representative from VA Partners is expected to provide a statement following final endorsement.

Global Mentorship Exchange (GMX)

During the event, BizPal also presented the Global Mentorship Exchange (GMX), an ecosystem initiative designed to connect experienced business leaders with high-potential entrepreneurs.

The initiative provides a structured environment for mentorship supported by data-based evaluation and standardised assessment criteria aligned with investor expectations. GMX was first introduced during BizPal’s Data Fundraising Masterclass in December 2025 and was presented to a broader network of partners and investors at BizPal Day.

Next Steps

Following the event, BizPal plans to expand the adoption of CapitalOS and continue developing its partner network across Malaysia and the ASEAN region.

https://www.bizpal.tech/
https://www.facebook.com/simplyfi.sg

Hashtag: #NoDataNoTalk #DataFundraising #InvestorReady #CapitalReadiness #FinTech #BusinessValuation #ASEANSMEs #BizPalDay

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

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

Source: Media Outreach

VIENTIANE, LAOS – Media OutReach Newswire – 24 April 2026 – Green SM Laos and Star Fintech Sole Co., Ltd (Umoney) have announced the signing of a Payment System Integration Agreement to incorporate Umoney into the Green SM application, alongside a Strategic Cooperation Agreement to develop a comprehensive digital finance and smart mobility ecosystem in Laos.

Under the agreement, Umoney will be integrated as a direct payment method within the Green SM app. The two parties will also implement an embedded integration model enabling Umoney users to seamlessly access Green SM’s mobility services directly within the Umoney platform.

For the first time in Laos, customers will experience a fully seamless ride-hailing journey with fares processed instantly via the Umoney e-wallet upon trip completion, replacing the previously common manual bank transfer method. Users simply link their Umoney wallet to the Green SM app for fast, convenient, and fully cashless transactions. Additionally, customers using partner banking applications can pay drivers through Umoney’s QR system, delivering a flexible, fast, and secure payment experience that enhances user convenience and broadens customer reach across both platforms.

As part of the collaboration, Green SM Laos will provide comprehensive mobility solutions for Umoney’s enterprise partners and individual customers, including Green SM Car electric ride-hailing, Green SM Limo, Green SM Airport transfer services, as well as corporate travel packages and flexible, customized mobility plans. Umoney, in turn, will collaborate with Green SM to develop digital financial and payment solutions tailored for drivers within the Green SM ecosystem, encompassing e-wallet services, direct income disbursement, operational expense payments, and cash flow management tools. This synergy is designed to optimize operational efficiency while enhancing the experience for businesses, drivers, and end-users alike.

Beyond mobility and payment solutions, both parties plan to expand their shared digital services ecosystem by integrating Umoney and Unitel’s telecommunications and digital utilities into the Green SM platform, including SIM card registration, mobile top-ups, data package purchases, and other digital services, thereby enhancing the value proposition for users across both platforms.

The two companies will also jointly roll out customer benefit programs targeting Umoney users in Laos, with a particular focus on airports, transaction points, and key high-traffic locations. Through integrated service offerings and incentives promoting electric mobility, Green SM and Umoney aim to foster environmentally responsible travel habits while delivering greater value to customers within their shared ecosystem.

Mr. Ha Chien Thang, Director of Star Fintech Sole Co., Ltd, shared:”Our partnership with Green SM marks a significant milestone in Umoney’s strategy to develop a comprehensive digital finance ecosystem in Laos. The integration of payment capabilities and digital services not only enhances user convenience but also contributes to the advancement of cashless payments and the broader digital transformation of the economy.“

Ms. Tran Hanh An, Director of Mobility Services Sales at Green SM Vietnam & Laos, stated: “The partnership between Umoney and Green SM reflects a shared commitment to connecting the essential infrastructures of modern urban life, from digital finance and telecommunications to a green mobility ecosystem. Through this collaboration, we aim to expand benefits for our customers and driver community while driving meaningful green transformation that is firmly grounded in everyday mobility and consumption needs.“

Furthermore, Green SM and Umoney will collaborate on multi-channel communications initiatives to strengthen brand awareness and expand their combined customer base. Planned activities include co-branded campaigns, promotional programs for new users, digital platform communications, and on-ground experiential activations in key markets.

The partnership between Green SM and Umoney marks a significant convergence of two leading ecosystems in green mobility and digital finance in Laos, united in their pursuit of integrated service solutions that meet the increasingly diverse demands of modern urban life. This collaboration also represents a pivotal step toward fostering innovation, elevating the user experience, and contributing to the sustainable growth of the digital economy in Laos.

Hashtag: #GreenSM

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

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

MIL OSI

Source: Auckland Council

Auckland Council and the Auckland Council Group (our council-controlled organisations AT, Tātaki Auckland Unlimited and Watercare) have been taking a hard look at how we use fuel, where we can make changes and fuel savings, and how increased fuel prices are affecting our budget and the everyday lives of Aucklanders.

What’s our role in the fuel supply disruption conundrum?

As a local authority, we are guided by the National Fuel Plan 2026 and current government direction, which places New Zealand at Fuel Response Phase 1 (minimal impact anticipated, but with potential to escalate). The government has confirmed that national fuel supply remains stable and that stock levels are healthy.

Essentially, like most businesses, residents and families in Tāmaki Makaurau, we’re dealing with the early impacts of the international fuel supply issue (price) and planning ahead for potential escalations of the situation (supply). 

Read more about the government’s Fuel supply disruption response here. 

How does fuel supply disruption affect us? 

We’re a big business.  Actually, we’re a big family of businesses. We work together to purchase fuel for the services that we deliver directly. This type of purchasing ensures we can get good prices and value for money – nonetheless, those prices are going up and we have to plan for how we might manage limited supply in the future. 

Petrol and diesel to power buses, vehicles and machinery is not the only supply chain area we’re monitoring. Petrochemical products like the resin used to make polyethylene pipe are also part of the fuel supply chain and are products that we rely on in our infrastructure projects. 

So, the cost and supply of fuel and fuel-related products, plus the impact on our staff and customers who are feeling the pinch at the petrol pump or other cost increases as a result of fuel going up, is our key focus right now. 

How much fuel does the council and its services use? 

The Auckland Council Group and its contractors collectively consume around tens of millions of litres of diesel every year, to deliver essential services across Tāmaki Makaurau. This fuel use supports critical frontline activities including waste collection, public transport operations, water and wastewater services, emergency response, infrastructure maintenance and other time‑critical council functions.

Auckland Transport (AT) is the council group’s largest fuel user, requiring approximately 700,000 litres of diesel per week across bus and ferry operations. 

Waste collections require around 60–70,000 litres of diesel per week and areas like Healthy Waters and Flood Resilience see our stormwater operations, capital delivery and maintenance activities using around 32,000 litres per week.

Next up are our parks and facilities operational needs (like mowing, maintenance, emptying public bins and looking after our facilities and open spaces, their contractors in an average month use approximately 240,000 litres of diesel. 

It’s a big step down to other fuel-dependent council services, like running our regional parks operations and our fleet vehicle pool, which serves functions like building inspections, animal management and compliance services. 

What about all of those electric vehicles? 

AT currently has at least 380 electric buses in its fleet and expects to have 434 on the road by the end of June. AT’s focus is on maximising use of the electric fleet while ensuring sufficient capacity across public transport services. This may mean making some changes to which buses you see on your route, but the route stays the same. 

Some neighbourhoods will have seen compact little food scraps collection vehicles quietly picking up your food waste for composting. Around one third of the food scraps fleet is currently electric.

There are just over 1,000 vehicles in the council group’s fleet, covering everything we do – from parking wardens and zookeepers, to rangers and building inspectors. Some of our specialist vehicles, like utes and vans for Animal Management and Auckland Emergency Management, are petrol or diesel powered, but just over half of our fleet (51 per cent) is fully electric or battery electric hybrid. 

How this affects everyone’s budget

The impact on our operating and capital costs remains dynamic and uncertain. Fuel costs sit within complex contractual arrangements and we will continue to closely manage and monitor these evolving pressures.

Because we work directly with our contract partners, we have some ability to manage any immediate impacts within our current contract arrangements. 

We’re also thinking ahead and will work with the Mayor and Councillors through the Annual Budget and Long-term Plan processes to adjust strategic levers in response to emerging cost trends. 

For our staff, increased prices at the petrol pump means thinking about their commute to work and the impact of increased costs on their home and family lives. We haven’t made any changes to the way we work but we have good flexible working policies in place that enable our people to work from home if their job allows, or work at other council buildings or hubs close to where they live. 

And we’re acutely aware of how fuel price pressures are impacting on Aucklanders. The government has announced a temporary in-work tax credit increase of $50 in response to the recent rises to the cost of living. You can find out more from Inland Revenue. 

Here are some other ways to help ease the pressure of petrol price rises: 

• Public transport – leave the car at home and get on board the bus, train or ferry. Visit AT’s website and lock in all the public transport you need for a maximum of $50 per week.
• Fareshare – if you’re an employer looking to support your kaimahi with commuting costs, check out Fareshare, an easy way to subsidise work travel by bus, train or ferry where you can choose the amount you share and whether it’s weekdays or every day.
• Stretch every tank – check out what EECA, the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority, has to say about changing your driving habits and getting up to 20 per cent more out of a tank of gas. Look out for EECA’s fuel efficiency campaign or visit eeca.govt.nz/fuel.
• Love local. Save fuel.
  • Check out the hundreds of free, low-cost and family-friendly local events on OurAuckland and Discover Auckland.
  • Follow our Out and About programme on Facebook for events and activities at parks and community facilities in your neighbourhood.
  • Take a hike – check out AKL Paths for walks and hikes in your area.
  • Make the most of your local library – from activities for the kids to millions of library items to read, listen to, watch and learn from. Plus free wifi, exhibitions and events, and much more… visit Auckland Council Libraries.
  • Upskill for free and make budget savings. Sound good? Read more here.  
  • Get to the pool – at Auckland Council pools, entry is free for young people aged 16 and under and in some local board areas, adults swim for free too. Visit aucklandleisure.co.nz. 

What’s next?

We’ll continue to take direction from the government on its plans to manage fuel allocation during potential shortages and include that guidance in our own planning. We have provided feedback to the work that the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) is doing, to help inform the settings they put in place for local government. 

We’ll also keep working on our own business continuity and contingency plans. This helps us to identify the council group’s fuel-critical services and confirm potential minimum service levels. 

And we will be thinking about any medium-term considerations that the council may need to make if we’re faced with fuel or cost-related delays to our capital and infrastructure programmes. 

MIL OSI

Source: Radio New Zealand

Plans for a new social housing complex are sparking concerns in Kawakawa, with some residents saying it’s wrong to put vulnerable people in a known flood zone next door to a pub and pokies.

The council-owned company behind the plan, however, says the Far North desperately needs more affordable housing and the flood risk will be addressed by building up the land.

Complicating the picture is a government grant to upgrade Kawakawa’s failing water and sewage systems – but the Far North District Council can only claim the $25 million subsidy if enough new homes get the go-ahead.

The plan, if approved, would involve building 18 one-bedroom and 12 two-bedroom units on vacant land between the Hunter Star Hotel, on Kawakawa’s main street, and the Waiomio Stream.

Earlier this month RNZ revealed Northlanders had by far the longest waiting time in the country – more than 800 days – for help under the government’s Housing First scheme.

Kawakawa Business Association chairman Malcolm Francis said the town “definitely” needed more social housing, but the Far North Holdings and Ngāti Hine Health Trust proposal was in the wrong place.

“Why would you put people in harm’s way, given that it’s a flood plain? These guys are going through protocol and saying it’s the best site that they’ve got, but there’s got to be other sites.”

Northland Regional Council hazard maps showed much of the land was a one-in-10-year flood zone.

Francis said raising the land might protect the residents, but it increased the risk to neighbouring businesses.

“They’re going to build a two-metre bund and house these people on top, but that’s going to bring more water onto the existing businesses there. They’re saying it’s only going to raise flood levels by 5 millimetres, but given the sort of weather events we’ve got coming down on us at the moment, can you guarantee it’s 5mm? I guarantee it’s not a guarantee at all.”

Francis was also concerned the homes would be built directly behind a pub.

“They’re sticking people that could be dependent or solo mothers or whatever behind the hotel. And, you know, there’s gambling and drinking and all this sort of stuff going on.”

Kawakawa Engineering owner Kevin Davidson said he was concerned about the effects on the 50-year-old business, which is across Old Whangae Road from the proposed housing complex.

“We employ a lot of people and this is going to really constrain our business,” he said.

“I do worry about these people that are going to be installed across the road from us because we’re a very noisy outfit. We run lights day and night. There’s forklifts operating so it’s dangerous. I’m also concerned that we’re putting vulnerable people behind a hotel. And I don’t see that as right.”

Davidson said flooding was a major problem on Old Whangae Road.

A new stopbank was keeping smaller floods at bay but he was worried about the next big one.

“The business has been flooded for the last 30-odd years up to six times a year. This issue is not going away. It seems to be getting worse, if anything, with the climate changing to be warmer and heavier rainfalls.”

He said a rethink was needed.

“There’s miles better places to build these houses. We have vacant land by the hospital, we have a huge area of domain land within the town boundaries. Why they’re focusing on a scrap of land that floods behind a hotel and putting vulnerable people in it is beyond belief.”

Far North Holdings chief executive Andy Nock said the units, in six two-storey blocks, would be a mix of affordable rentals aimed at low-income workers and kaumātua and kuia flats.

They would ease a critical housing shortage, and help the council secure $25.6m from the government’s Infrastructure Acceleration Fund to upgrade Kawakawa infrastructure he said was “bursting at the seams”.

To claim the full amount, 180 new homes would have to be built in Kawakawa by 2030.

Nock said the flood risk would be addressed by raising the land by 1.8m, above the one-in-100-year flood level.

Many urban areas in Northland, including Whangārei’s city centre, were in one-in-100-year flood zones.

“It’s simply a matter of adapting to those changing circumstances, which is why we’re raising the site. If you think back a few years we had to do the same when we built the library in Kawakawa. We raised it up and have no issues at all with flooding.”

As for proximity to the hotel, Nock said Kawakawa was a small town, so any flat land near the town centre would be close to a pub.

“We thought that was outweighed by the benefits. You’ve got some lovely views over the fields, you’re right on a parkland setting, you can walk into town. And that’s what you need for kaumātua and kuia and affordable housing, you need that proximity to services.”

Nock said a resource consent application had been lodged. It would be up to the council to decide whether it would be notified.

Ngāti Hine was pursuing a separate project to build more than 100 units on hospital land up the hill, he said.

Ngāti Hine Health Trust chief executive Tamati Shepherd-Wipiiti said the units would be aimed mainly at low-income workers who struggled to pay market rents, along with some families, solo parents and kaumātua and kuia.

Changes to government funding made it financially difficult to build social housing so the new units would be affordable rentals, with rents set at about 80 percent of market rates.

The tenants would not be taken from the social housing list with categories A or B, who had the most complex needs.

There would still be plenty of support available at the health trust’s offices located straight across the road.

Shepherd-Wipiiti said the trust’s first 35 homes were built a year ago at Marohapa, in nearby Moerewa, with a wellbeing services centre in the middle.

That meant residents had access to social workers, people who could help mums with babies, health practitioners, mental health and addiction staff, and kuia and kaumātua who could help kids with homework.

“We never just build a housing development,” he said.

Unlike the planed Kawakawa complex, Marohapa was social housing – but so far there had not been a single eviction or serious social issue.

Shepherd-Wipiiti said the need for housing in the Far North was “massive”.

In Kawakawa and Moerewa it was a straight supply problem with not enough homes available, and the health trust was the only organisation doing any building, he said.

Apart from the 35 already built in Moerewa and 30 proposed for Old Whangae Road in Kawakawa, the trust was planning to build another 120 on the Kawakawa Hospital site and 30 on Mill Road.

As well as the $25.6m for Kawakawa, in 2022 the Infrastructure Acceleration Fund granted the Far North District Council $23m for infrastructure upgrades in Kaikohe on the proviso a certain number of new homes were built.

There, Far North Holdings and Te Hau Ora o Ngāpuhi had already completed a major social housing development on the former RSA site on Broadway, and Te Hau Ora o Ngāpuhi was building 100 affordable homes on Bisset Road aimed at low-income workers locked out of the housing market.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

The sale of small- and medium-sized businesses continues to increase along with prices, though there’s been a shift in the mix of buyers and sellers.

ABC Business Sales managing director Chris Small said demographic data was showing unexpected trends.

• About 60 percent of sellers are not baby boomers.
• 47 percent of purchasers are more than 46 years old.
• Demographic change as NZ Europeans make up 67 percent of sellers, with Indians, Asians and other ethnicities making up 47 percent of buyers.
• Completed business sales have reached a record 514 in the year ended March 2026 – up 21 percent on 2025.
• AI’s effect on future job security has emerged as a reason for new purchasers to buy a business.
• Wholesale & distribution businesses attract the highest average price ($1.58 million), followed by agribusinesses ($1.36m) while hospitality attracts the lowest average price ($245,000).

Small said the outlook for sales growth would be guided by the number of listings, which was expected to remain little changed over the year to March 2027.

He said business owners were expected to hold back on going to market until earnings improved, perhaps in the second half of the year.

“We also believe the election and the Iran war will result in a slowing down of business sales over the next six months,” he said.

“Demand represented by volumes of signed confidentiality agreements will continue to increase, but at more subdued rates of 5-10 percent vs the 25-30 percent of the last two years.

“The historical drivers of immigration and unemployment are both forecast to decline in the next 12 months.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

One commerce teacher backs a possible investment programme for students and says demand for investment education is growing.

ACT leader David Seymour has floated the idea of giving every year 11 student $500 to invest.

It would be supervised as part of a programme to raise financial literacy and encourage Kiwis to diversify their investments.

Students would get more freedom to manage their windfall as they move through a year long investment cause.

The $30 million annually to fund the scheme would come out of the government’s annual Kiwi Saver subsidy.

One option could see student’s allowed to cash out any gains above $500 or credit them to a student loan account.

Commerce teacher at Cashmere High School, Matt Benassi, said the idea resonated with his students.

“I asked my students about it this afternoon… they wanted to know more about it.

“We are getting more and more demand regarding wanting to know more about investment.”

When asked whether the programme would work and who should teach it, Benassi leaned towards getting in experts.

“I think if the programme was set up so that experts could come in and discuss this then there’s some possibly to deliver that, and I think there are some experts in the educational field that would tackle that really really well.

“Would most teachers be able to? I would really like to hear from the experts.

“I know I get experts into my class to discuss it and the students do have lots of questions around it to gain more knowledge…”

He said using a simulation would not have the same impact of real money.

“The fact that it isn’t fake money, this isn’t a simulation, these aren’t just pretend numbers on a board, this is actual money…”, he said.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Building water infrastructure over the next decade will be a “mammoth challenge” according to Local Government Minister Simon Watts.

Speaking to Morning Report, Watts said one of the key points the government wanted to achieve with Local Water Done Well reform “is making sure that the entities that deliver these water services are in an essence match fit, are financially sustainable and they have the ability to deliver.”

Watts also said there are “significant challenges around infrastructure investment deficit.”

On Thursday, Independent Infrastructure Commission – Te Waihanga, chief executive Geoff Cooper told Morning Report there’s been huge under-investment in the water system, particularly in the 1980s and 1990s.

“The number that we have here from the water service delivery plans is about $49 billion over the next 10 years.

“To put that into perspective, that’s about on par with what New Zealand has spent on water services in the 125 years since 1885,” Cooper said.

Watts highlighted one challenge with estimating the costs for the infrastructure in some areas is due to the pipes being 50-to-80-years-old.

Watts also said there are issues with forecasting costs, but said it was likely to be “in the region of $4 billion per annum over the next 10 years.”

“WaterCare [currently] spends $4 million per day on infrastructure investment.”

When asked who will be paying for the infrastructure, Watts said it will come from ratepayers “first and foremost”.

Watts said the government is changing the way the new water entities are funded and financed.

“What I mean by that is, we’re making sure that these assets last for a long time, 50, 100 years in some cases. We want to make sure that the borrowings of these entities match the asset life, and that hasn’t been the case in the past.”

Watts said the government “has flesh in the game,” because it is “putting in place a structure that works for communities”, and more regions could see water charging.

“Some parts of the country do pay water charges, Auckland, for example, and the regulator is looking across the country and going, well, you know, at the end of the day, we do need to be considering water charges because, you know, it is a cost of infrastructure.”

Watts acknowledged some councils will be paying for the infrastructure using debt, but said this wasn’t always a bad thing.

“Having debt is not a bad thing in the context of how we build this infrastructure. The challenge is we have to fund and finance the massive deficit of infrastructure we have inherited.

“It’s not fair that only today’s population fund for something 100 years from today.”

Watts stressed the importance of the water entities throughout the country being “financially sustainable… that the revenue that these entities collect covers their costs, and they have enough income to be able to pay their debt.”

Watts said this wasn’t the case under the prior model, and the “independent Commerce Commission will make that assessment [on financial sustainability], not some politician.”

Watts acknowledged in some parts of New Zealand, the infrastructure deficit is bigger than other areas.

“But we’ve got a model that can deliver the reform required and the infrastructure investment. It’s going to be hard and challenging, but we’re already making some good steps.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Many of New Zealand’s mid-sized businesses are yet to realise a return on investment in AI.

A survey of 500 business leaders commissioned by business software firm MYOB indicates New Zealand was lagging behind Australia in realising productivity gains from AI-driven processes.

“Larger businesses continue to pull ahead because smaller firms haven’t built as robust a foundation across the key pillars that strengthen the gains from AI, such as integrated data systems, digitised core processes, structured training, and clearer guardrails,” MYOB executive general manager Paul Voges said.

“New Zealand’s mid-sized businesses have consistently shown real ambition and appetite when it comes to lifting performance with technology. What the data shows is that unlocking real productivity gains requires all the foundational elements to combine. At the moment, the engine is firing on only half its cylinders.”

The report indicates Australian firms were doing a better job of combining five pillars for success: processes, data, AI strategy, AI governance and workforce capability.

“A business with solid data but low workforce capability, or AI tools without the appropriate governance, is not future-ready, it’s partially prepared and still heavily constrained.” Voges said.

“Too many mid-sized firms are being held back not by a lack of appetite for AI, but the work to improve the foundations that sit underneath.”

The data also indicates many local businesses were struggling with cybersecurity and data privacy concerns (43 percent), followed by skills and change capacity (40 percent) and governance, risk and compliance (32 percent).

About a third (30 percent) said cloud and integration readiness was a barrier, and nearly as many said a lack of standardised processes was holding them back.

“What we’re seeing across the data from an overarching A/NZ view is that those businesses using legacy systems appear to be getting less out of AI, with these businesses overwhelmingly reporting time savings as the key benefit,” he said.

“Those with AI embedded in core systems are reporting stronger and more commercially significant impacts, like revenue growth and improved profit margins, alongside significant time savings.”

Investment in key pillars drives productivity gains

Voges said businesses with investment in the underlying foundation for AI were seeing commercial returns.

In addition to time saved (46 percent), almost a third (30 percent) of decision-makers believed AI had contributed to increased revenue or sales growth and 27 percent reported improved profit margins, though the proportion enjoying financial benefits rose alongside the size of the business.

More than one-in-three (37 percent) businesses with 100+ employees reported improved profit margins, compared with just 11 percent of those with between 20 and 49 employees. The same divide showed up across broader performance measures.

“The opportunity now is to enable more of New Zealand’s mid-sized businesses to close the gap, access those same gains and drive true productivity,” Voges said.

“These businesses are a vital part of New Zealand’s economy and if we can help more of them get the foundations right, the flow-on benefits for the wider economy could be significant.”

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