PM Edition: Here are the top 10 business articles on LiveNews.co.nz for August 9, 2026 – Full Text
1. The $42 Trillion AI Economy: How AI Reshaped the S&P 500
August 8, 2026
Source: BestBrokers.com
Paul Hoffman
July 16, 2026
Updated July 21, 2026
Artificial intelligence has rapidly evolved from a niche investment theme centred on a handful of technology giants into the defining force behind much of the U.S. and global stock markets. In 2024, at the height of the AI boom on Wall Street, investors primarily associated AI with companies such as Nvidia, Microsoft and AMD.
Just two years later, AI extends far beyond chipmakers and cloud providers, encompassing utilities, networking firms, data centre operators, industrial suppliers and enterprise software companies.
To examine the progression of this trend, the team at BestBrokers analysed America’s largest stock market index, the S&P 500 (Standard & Poor’s 500 index), which tracks the stock performance of 500 of the largest publicly traded companies in the United States and covers approximately 80% of the total U.S. equity market value.
Our analysis of all S&P 500 constituents shows that 218 companies – more than two in five – are now directly exposed to the AI economy, collectively accounting for $42.4 trillion in market value, or 62% of the entire index. This illustrates that the AI boom has gradually evolved from the companies building the intelligence to those building the infrastructure that powers it.
Key Findings
- AI-linked companies now represent 218 of the S&P 500’s 503 constituents (43.3%).
- Together, they are worth $42.39 trillion and account for 62.04% of the index’s market capitalisation.
- Companies outside the AI ecosystem now represent only 37.96% of total market value, despite making up 285 companies.
AI: The Dominant Investment Theme in the S&P 500
Artificial intelligence has become the largest investment ecosystem in the S&P 500 – not because every company builds AI, but because AI now influences almost every layer of the modern economy. Only a few years ago, investors largely viewed artificial intelligence through the lens of a small group of companies building the technology itself. Nvidia, Microsoft, AMD, Alphabet and a handful of semiconductor businesses dominated conversations about AI investing.
That picture has changed dramatically. Today, 218 companies – more than two in every five S&P 500 constituents – have a meaningful connection to the AI economy. Together, they account for $42.39 trillion in market value, representing almost two-thirds of the index.
The remaining 285 companies, despite making up the majority of index constituents, collectively account for only 37.96% of total market capitalisation. This does not mean that fewer than half of the S&P 500 use artificial intelligence. In reality, almost every large business is now adopting AI in some form, whether through automation, productivity tools, customer service or internal analytics.
However, our analysis focuses on companies where AI has become materially important to their business model, investment thesis or long-term growth prospects. These businesses either develop AI technologies directly, provide the infrastructure that enables AI, supply essential components to the AI value chain or have deeply integrated AI into the products and services they sell. For that reason, the AI Adopters category in this report should not be interpreted as the only companies using AI.
Rather, it identifies companies where AI has become a defining strategic capability rather than simply another productivity tool.
The Dramatic Expansion of the AI Boom in Just 2 Years
The AI story of 2024 was relatively straightforward. AI investing revolved around a small group of technology leaders, with the biggest winners being companies building the technology itself: chip designers, cloud providers and the developers of increasingly sophisticated large language models.
Two years later, the market is rewarding a much broader range of businesses. Today, the AI economy extends well beyond the companies creating intelligence. It now includes those supplying electricity to data centres, manufacturing cooling systems, expanding fibre-optic networks, building server infrastructure and providing specialised enterprise software.
The numbers illustrate this transformation. While 58 Core AI companies, including chipmakers, cloud and model providers, AI software developers and AI security firms, collectively account for $32.20 trillion in market value, another 160 companies form the broader AI ecosystem, contributing an additional $10.19 trillion.
Mapping the Modern AI Economy
The largest segment of today’s AI ecosystem remains AI Chips & Hardware Suppliers, representing 28 companies with a combined market capitalisation of $12.39 trillion and an index weight of 18.14%.
Close behind are AI Cloud & Model Providers, whose six companies, including the hyperscale cloud leaders, account for another $11.74 trillion, or 17.18% of the index. However, one of the most interesting developments is the growing importance of industries that would rarely have appeared in an AI investment report just a few years ago.
The AI Energy & Power Infrastructure category now includes 58 companies, the largest group by company count, reflecting surging investor interest in the enormous electricity requirements of AI data centres. Similarly, AI Infrastructure Suppliers (Pick-and-Shovel) and AI Infrastructure & Data Centres now comprise 60 companies, highlighting how AI has become as much a story about physical infrastructure as software.
Even the AI Software & Applications category has expanded beyond traditional technology firms to include businesses embedding generative and agentic AI into enterprise software, advertising, design platforms and decision-making systems. Together, these categories, however limiting or broad they may seem to different people, show that AI has become an entire industrial ecosystem – ever-expanding and ever-demanding, rather than a single technology sector.
The Market’s Biggest Winners Are No Longer Just Chipmakers
One of the clearest signs of AI’s evolution can be seen in stock performance. The strongest performers over the past two years are no longer limited to the largest technology companies. We looked at two-year growth rather than year-to-date performance or price changes over the past year, since we wanted to see the progress after the AI boom had already started.
Among the top-performing AI-linked stocks are optical networking specialist Lumentum Holdings (stock +1194.56% between July 2024 and July 2026), storage companies Western Digital (+788.71%) and Seagate (+668.44%), memory producer Micron Technology (+615.27%), enterprise AI leader Palantir (+354.96%), advertising platform AppLovin (+524.77%) and semiconductor infrastructure firms such as Lam Research (+211.73%), Applied Materials (+136.51%), and KLA Corporation (+163.97%).
Many of these businesses play supporting rather than starring roles in the AI revolution. Yet they have become indispensable to its expansion, and the growth in their stocks is demonstrating how investors think. The market increasingly recognises that every AI model ultimately depends on a much larger ecosystem of hardware, networking, energy and specialised infrastructure. In many cases, the companies selling the “picks and shovels” are proving just as attractive to investors as those digging for gold.
AI Is Reshaping the Entire Index
It is clear as day that artificial intelligence has become one of the fastest-expanding investment narratives in modern market history. In just two years, the number of companies materially linked to the AI economy has grown almost sixfold – from 38 to 218.
More importantly, AI’s influence has spread far beyond the technology sector itself. Utilities, industrial manufacturers, infrastructure suppliers, cybersecurity firms and enterprise software providers now all form part of the same value chain, each enabling the continued expansion of AI in different ways.
But who is actually growing by creating and feeding artificial intelligence, and who is just riding the AI wave? As more businesses highlight AI strategies during earnings calls and product launches, investors must increasingly distinguish between companies genuinely creating value from AI and those simply benefiting from market enthusiasm surrounding the technology.
The AI economy is clearly becoming broader. Whether every company now presenting itself as an AI winner ultimately deserves that label remains one of the defining investment questions of the coming years. For now, however, one conclusion is difficult to dispute: AI is no longer a niche corner of the stock market. It has become one of the foundations upon which the modern S&P 500 is increasingly built.
Methodology
The analysis covers all 503 constituents of the S&P 500 Index as of July 2026. Companies were classified into one of eight categories based on their primary role within the AI value chain: AI Chips & Hardware Suppliers, AI Cloud & Model Providers, AI Software & Applications, AI Security & Trust Layer, AI Infrastructure & Data Centres, AI Infrastructure Suppliers (Pick-and-Shovel), AI Energy & Power Infrastructure and AI Adopters.
Classification was based on each company’s products, services, infrastructure role and the material importance of AI to its business strategy and investment narrative.
Market capitalization as of July 6 2026, from CompaniesMarketCap, and index weight were aggregated for each category to measure AI’s overall footprint within the index. Share prices were sourced from Yahoo Finance, with additional information about the index and its constituents taken from Nasdaq and S&P Global.
Original report: BestBrokers.com
Back to index · Read original article
2. Siltrax Fuel Cell Stack Secures TÜV Certification, Accelerating Global Deployment
August 8, 2026
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-NZ-AU)
SYDNEY, Jan. 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Siltrax, a leader in high-performance electrochemical innovation, has announced a definitive commercial milestone: the G-100 Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) Fuel Cell Stack has officially attained TÜV certification.
Validating compliance with IEC 62282-2-100, this certification confirms the G-100’s safety architecture, manufacturing consistency and readiness for immediate integration into regulated global markets. A copy of the certificate is available here.
For Tier-1 system integrators and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), this certification is a significant commercial accelerator. By providing validated, component-level safety evidence, Siltrax materially reduces “certification friction,” allowing partners to bypass redundant testing and accelerate the deployment of hydrogen-powered systems.
From Record-Setting Performance to Certified, Repeatable Hardware
This certification builds on Siltrax’s previously announced G-100 performance milestone, where independent third-party testing by TÜV Rheinland verified record-setting fuel-cell power density results from Siltrax’s silicon-based architecture. In that testing, the G-100 achieved up to 9.77 kW/L volumetric power density and up to 9.7 kW/kg gravimetric power density, establishing a new benchmark for size, weight and performance in hydrogen fuel cell stacks.
Siltrax is now translating that breakthrough into a certified, production-ready platform designed for real-world duty cycles and regulated markets.
Solving Downstream Challenges with Silicon Technology
For aviation, heavy transport and other high-duty and weight-critical applications, hydrogen adoption is often constrained by hardware limitations at the stack level. Siltrax’s proprietary silicon-based bipolar plate architecture — the first of its kind —directly addresses these constraints:
- Optimizing Power-to-Weight Ratios: The G-100 achieves a volumetric power density and gravimetric power density of 9.77 kW/L and 9.4 kW/kg, respectively. In mass-sensitive sectors like aerospace, this efficiency translates directly into increased payload capacity and extended operational range.
- Enhanced Durability and Reduced Downtime: Silicon substrates offer high thermal conductivity and structural rigidity, reducing thermal gradients and mechanical stress that commonly drive degradation in graphite- and metal-plate designs under sustained high-load operation.
- Certification-Ready Hardware: TÜV certification allows integrators to reuse component-level safety evidence, reducing the time and costs associated with downstream qualification and system-safety cases.
Notably, Siltrax’s record-setting test results were achieved using commercially available, off-the-shelf components beyond Siltrax’s proprietary bipolar plate and flow channel design, underscoring additional headroom for future gains as the company integrates tailored gas diffusion layers and membranes optimized for its high-precision architecture.
Power Density That Unlocks New Markets
Siltrax’s G-100 performance exceeds key long-term international targets that many in the industry are still working toward. For example, the G-100’s demonstrated volumetric power density surpasses Japan’s NEDO targets across multiple time horizons, and its stack-specific power outperforms U.S. Department of Energy USDRIVE targets for stack specific power. That combination of performance credibility and certification readiness enables faster commercial adoption in applications where every kilogram and cubic centimeter counts.
A Platform for Real-World Use Cases
“The TÜV certification is a critical business enabler,” said Dr. Zhengrong Shi, Siltrax CEO. “We aren’t just building a more efficient fuel cell —we are providing a certified, safe and repeatable hardware platform. This allows our partners to bypass regulatory uncertainty and move straight to commercial application with full confidence in the product’s reliability.”
Siltrax is now actively scaling its operations to support deployment in three core business sectors:
- Aviation & Drones: Delivering the weight efficiencies required for viable commercial hydrogen-electric flight.
- Heavy Transportation: Enabling long-haul trucking and maritime fleets to meet emissions targets without sacrificing cargo volume.
- Distributed Energy Infrastructure: Providing modular, certified onsite power for mission-critical assets, including data centers and EV mega-charging hubs.
Manufacturing Readiness
Siltrax is scaling manufacturing with a focus on repeatability, quality controls and supply continuity. The company is now offering G-100 evaluation units to qualified OEMs and integrators, with evaluation units available now.
For more information or to request an evaluation unit or the certification evidence pack, contact Daniel Zafir (dzafir@siltrax.net).
About Siltrax
Siltrax re-engineers the economics of power through electrochemical innovation. By utilizing proprietary silicon-based bipolar plates, we leverage the mature industrial foundations of the photovoltaic industry to deliver next-generation PEM fuel cells with leading power density and longevity, translating directly into higher payloads, longer uptimes, and lower total cost of ownership. Headquartered in Sydney, Siltrax provides the high-intensity energy required to transform demanding industrial operations into high-efficiency, zero-emission assets.
PR Contact:
Leah Wilkinson
Wilkinson + Associates for Siltrax
leah@wilkinson.associates
– Published by The MIL Network
Back to index · Read original article
3. Vinhomes advances urban development platform amid global shift toward nature-positive investment
August 7, 2026
Source: Media Outreach
An aerial perspective of Vinhomes Green Paradise in Can Gio, illustrating the integration of modern urban infrastructure with active ecological restoration to foster long-term environmental resilience.
With a land bank exceeding 295 million square meters, nearly 650,000 residents across its integrated townships, and record equivalent revenue of VND183.1 trillion (US$6.94 billion) in 2025, the company has demonstrated its capacity to plan, finance, deliver and operate large-scale cities with remarkable consistency.
For more than two millennia, humanity has celebrated its greatest achievements through the idea of “wonders,” from the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World to the New7Wonders of Nature, which in 2011 recognized sites such as the Amazon Rainforest and Vietnam’s own Ha Long Bay for their untouched natural beauty.
Today, a fourth wave is emerging: one defined not by human creations set apart from nature, nor by landscapes left untouched, but by developments where urbanization actively enhances natural ecosystems. This philosophy, combined with Vinhomes’ operational scale, has positioned the company at the forefront of that shift, offering global institutional investors a proven model that is gaining recognition across Asia.
Nature-Positive Development Defines Vinhomes’ Urban Philosophy
At the core of Vinhomes’ approach is a fundamental departure from traditional real estate development; the company approaches urban development as an integrated process of environmental enhancement, infrastructure creation and community building.
This philosophy is evident across several landmark projects. At Vinhomes Green Paradise in Can Gio, built on reclaimed coastal land, modern infrastructure coexists with active ecological restoration, creating new living environments while supporting long-term environmental resilience.
At Vinhomes Global Gate Ha Long, the urban masterplan has been designed specifically to complement the UNESCO-recognized Ha Long Bay, one of the world’s most celebrated natural wonders, creating a space where urban life and natural heritage mutually enrich one another.
For institutional investors, this nature-positive orientation reflects a broader strategic shift. Long-term capital is increasingly flowing toward developers capable of creating urban ecosystems that generate value over decades, not merely delivering projects on a transactional basis. Vinhomes’ ability to embed sustainability, ecological regeneration and climate resilience into its masterplans aligns with the evolving expectations of global asset owners seeking both financial returns and environmental impact.
Proven Execution And Operational Scale Build Investor Confidence
In real estate, vision carries little weight without the ability to execute. This is where Vinhomes has established one of its strongest competitive advantages. While many developers concentrate their portfolios within a limited number of cities or regions, Vinhomes has successfully replicated its large-scale urban development model across Vietnam, delivering integrated townships from north to south while maintaining consistent quality, execution speed and operational standards.
The company’s 2025 performance underscores this capability. By year-end, Vinhomes had delivered more than 34,000 apartments, villas and shophouses, achieving record equivalent revenue of VND183.1 trillion (US$6.94 billion), a 29% year-on-year increase that exceeded its annual target. Net profit reached VND43.3 trillion (US$1.6 billion), up 24%, while sales bookings nearly doubled to VND205.3 trillion (US$7.9 billion). Unrecognized contracted sales of VND186.4 trillion (US$7.1 billion) provide exceptional revenue visibility for the years ahead.
Beyond financial metrics, Vinhomes’ operational scale is evidenced by nearly 650,000 residents now living across its developments nationwide, forming one of Southeast Asia’s largest integrated residential communities. This scale demonstrates not only the company’s ability to build projects but also its capacity to create functioning urban ecosystems capable of sustaining long-term economic and social activity.
The company’s land bank, exceeding 295 million square meters as of December 31, 2025, represents Vietnam’s largest and is strategically positioned across major metropolitan areas and regions benefiting from accelerating urbanization, industrial development and tourism growth. This extensive reserve provides a substantial pipeline for future development while supporting sustainable long-term growth.
Vinhomes’ operational excellence is further validated by internationally recognized certifications including ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001 and SA8000, reflecting global standards in quality management, environmental performance, occupational health and safety, and social responsibility. The company’s market position, Vietnam’s largest listed real estate company by market capitalization at approximately US$19.4 billion, and the country’s second-largest listed enterprise overall, reinforces its institutional credibility. Its brand, valued at an estimated US$1.6 billion by Brand Finance, ranks among Vietnam’s Top 10 Most Valuable Brands.
For international investors, these indicators point to something larger than financial success alone. They reflect a company that has evolved beyond traditional real estate development into a trusted urban development platform, one capable of planning, financing, delivering and operating large-scale cities with remarkable consistency.
If the first three waves of human wonders celebrated extraordinary achievements of engineering or nature, the emerging fourth wave may well be defined by developments that elevate nature itself, creating places where environmental restoration, economic growth and human prosperity reinforce one another.
That vision demands proven execution, long-term thinking and institutional credibility. These qualities explain why an increasing number of global investors are viewing Vinhomes as one of Asia’s most compelling long-term urban development platforms.
Hashtag: #Vinhomes
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.
Back to index · Read original article
4. Every day lost allows the virus to stay one step ahead and more lives to be needlessly lost
August 5, 2026
Source: Médecins Sans Frontières
MSF Statement on the occasion of the high-level visit to DRC of Dr Tedros Abhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.
Geneva – 6 August 2026
“Two and a half months after the Ebola disease outbreak was declared, the situation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is more critical than ever. The outbreak is spreading at an alarming and unprecedented rate despite the tireless efforts of frontline medical teams.
According to the WHO, 3,605 confirmed cases had been reported by August 1st, making this the largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded in the DRC, surpassing the 2018 epidemic. In just 11 weeks since it was declared, nearly 1,500 people had died. That is a far higher death toll than in comparable periods of previous outbreaks: the devastating 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa caused 279 deaths over the same timeframe.
Even more concerning, the outbreak shows no sign of slowing down. New suspected cases are being reported almost daily in new locations, outside already identified transmission chains.
To prevent further loss of life, the response must outpace the current rate of transmission. The international medical response must scale-up without delay, and many critical gaps still need to be addressed.
Undeniable progress has been made in screening and contact tracing, but these efforts remain very insufficient to contain the epidemic. In the MSF Ebola treatment centre (ETC) in Bunia, 90% of admitted patients were not traced contacts, while in the whole of Ituri province only 59% of contacts were traced.
There is an urgent need for improved community engagement. A successful response can only be achieved if it is built with and led by local actors. Without communities at the centre of the response, surveillance and contact tracing will continue to miss cases. Better integration of local communities is essential to ensure cases are detected as early as possible and followed up rigorously.
This outbreak is aggravating an ongoing humanitarian crisis. Malaria, measles, cholera, malnutrition, and other preventable and treatable conditions continue to cause significant illness and death. Continued support for health facilities is also critical so they can keep providing vital healthcare services throughout the response and protect health workers.
Access remains a critical issue, particularly in remote areas where the onset of the rainy season will make movement difficult and risk disrupting operations. Providing medical supplies, as well as incentives and support for frontline health workers, is essential.
Clear assurances are needed that border restrictions, sanitary measures, or administrative burdens will not impede humanitarian staff rotations, medical referrals, or the delivery of supplies.
For now, the situation remains uncertain. Strengthening epidemiological surveillance, improving community engagement, and guaranteeing access for humanitarian personnel are top priorities. The response is expanding but is still not reaching communities quickly enough to break transmission chains.
Immediate action is needed. Every day lost allows the virus to stay one step ahead and more lives to be needlessly lost.”
Dr Philippa Boule, Deputy Medical Director, MSF.
Notes:
More than 1,400 MSF staff members are currently mobilized in the Ebola virus disease outbreak response in eastern DRC. MSF operates seven Ebola treatment centres (ETCs) and more than 15 isolation units in Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, and Tshopo, with a total capacity of more than 480 beds. Since the start of the outbreak, our teams have admitted more than 1,362 patients, including 554 confirmed cases, and supported the recovery of 282 survivors following their treatment and care.
MSF supports the Ministry of Health in surveillance and screening activities, community mobilization, training, and efforts to ensure safe access to other essential health services. We also continue to provide primary and secondary health care in several provinces of the country.
MSF is an international, medical, humanitarian organisation that delivers medical care to people in need, regardless of their origin, religion, or political affiliation. MSF Australia was established in 1995 and is one of 24 international MSF sections committed to delivering medical humanitarian assistance to people in crisis.
Every year more than 120 Australians and New Zealanders go on assignment with Médecins Sans Frontières working as: doctors, midwives, psychologists, laboratory technicians, human resource/finance coordinators, pharmacists, mental health specialists and logisticians.
MSF delivers medical care based on need alone and operates independently of government, religion or economic influence and irrespective of race, religion or gender.
Back to index · Read original article
5. New Zealand announces further sanctions against Russia
August 8, 2026
Source: New Zealand Government
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced a new round of sanctions targeting individuals and entities supporting Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine.
Today’s sanctions package targets 33 individuals and entities with a particular focus on cyber actors, as well as those involved in the forced relocation, abduction, and re-education of Ukrainian children.
“Children should never be used as instruments of war,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand remains deeply concerned by efforts to abduct and re-educate Ukrainian children through coercive state-directed programmes.”
The package also includes designations of malicious cyber actors, and those supporting the creation and dissemination of anti-Ukraine propaganda aimed at legitimising Moscow’s illegal war.
“Activities conducted behind a keyboard can have real consequences. Cyber actors are increasingly being used to gather intelligence, enable sanctions evasion, and disrupt those who oppose Russia’s aggression. New Zealand stands with our partners in calling out Moscow’s use of these actors.”
The sanctions announced today also target those contributing to Russia’s military-industrial complex, Russian political figures, and actors from the DPRK and Iran who are providing support to Moscow’s illegal invasion.
Since the Russia Sanctions Act came into force in March 2022, New Zealand has imposed sanctions on more than 2000 individuals, entities, and vessels, alongside a range of trade measures. This is New Zealand’s 36th round of Russia sanctions.
More information about sanctions, travel bans, and export controls against Russia, as well as diplomatic, military and economic support to Ukraine, can be found on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade website here.
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/08/08/new-zealand-announces-further-sanctions-against-russia/
Back to index · Read original article
6. First CT scanner for Kaitaia Hospital
August 6, 2026
Source: New Zealand Government
People in the Mid and Far North will soon have access to CT scanning closer to home, with a new scanner set to be installed at Kaitaia Hospital, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.
“This $5.5 million investment will mean people living in Kaitaia and surrounding towns can get a CT scan without leaving the area for the very first time,” Mr Brown says.
CT imaging, or computed tomography, is used to detect and assess a wide range of conditions, including stroke, cancer, injuries, and respiratory illness.
“Right now, patients face a round trip of more than 250 kilometres to Whangārei Hospital for a CT scan, often requiring ambulance transport and time away from home, work, and their families.
“By bringing CT scanning to Kaitaia, around 7000 patients a year who would otherwise make that journey can be scanned locally, reducing travel for patients and their families and easing pressure on services in Whangārei.”
“A CT scanner will also strengthen radiology services at Kaitaia Hospital, working alongside its existing x-ray and ultrasound services to support earlier diagnosis and treatment.
“In many situations, time is critical. Being able to scan patients locally will mean better outcomes for people needing emergency or cancer care.”
Work is underway to prepare for the scanner’s arrival, with the service expected to be operational around mid-2027. Additional staff will be recruited as the service expands, including medical imaging technologists, nurses and support staff.
Mr Brown says ensuring New Zealanders can access diagnostic services, no matter where they live, is a priority for the Government.
“We are focused on fixing the basics and building the future. For communities in the Mid and Far North, that means their first CT scanner at Kaitaia Hospital – delivering better access to care, closer to home.”
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/08/06/first-ct-scanner-for-kaitaia-hospital/
Back to index · Read original article
7. Promised Mental Health Strategy launched
August 6, 2026
Source: New Zealand Government
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey today launched the Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy, setting a clear 10-year direction to improve mental health and addiction outcomes for all New Zealanders.
“In opposition, I said it was a huge mistake for a mental health strategy not to be included in the Healthy Futures (Pae Ora) Act, so I introduced a Member’s Bill that was pulled from the biscuit tin in 2023 to fix the previous Government’s shortsighted actions,” Mr Doocey says.
“Ultimately, mental health deserves the same long-term direction and accountability as the rest of our health system.
“As New Zealand’s first Mental Health Minister, I am pleased to deliver the country’s first Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy under the Healthy Futures (Pae Ora) Act.
“It is backed by a detailed three-year Implementation Plan that sets out the actions, milestones, responsibilities and reporting needed to turn this into real improvements people can see and feel.
“The Implementation Plan contains 50 actions to deliver faster access to support, more frontline workers, and a better crisis response.
“Some key areas of focus coming up across mental health will be:
- Launch AI Navigation to enable people to easily access mental health and addiction services. Often, the first step in seeking support is the hardest, and many people don’t know where to start. We want technology to help people find the right support at the right time.
- Scale integrated services across mental health, housing and employment. We know that having a stable home and meaningful work can make a real difference to someone’s recovery, and too many people still have to navigate these services separately.
- Implement a national plan to eliminate seclusion. The Mental Health Bill recently passed prohibits the use of seclusion for people under the age of 18. I am committed to getting to zero seclusion for everyone, and this provides the path forward to achieving that.
- Co-design a dedicated youth mental health and addiction roadmap with young people. Nearly 23 per cent of young people aged 15 to 24 report high or very high levels of psychological distress, and we will work with young people to develop a roadmap that ensures their voices are heard and that support is designed around their needs and what works best for them.
“Through public consultation we heard from almost 900 people and organisations across New Zealand. I want to thank each of these people for the role they played in shaping this release. Their voices will help deliver a mental health and addiction system that works better for New Zealanders.”
Note to editor:
The Strategy and Implementation Plan can be found here.
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/08/06/promised-mental-health-strategy-launched/
Back to index · Read original article
8. Unemployment rate highest in more than a decade – labour market in crisis
August 5, 2026
Source: NZCTU
Today’s unemployment rate of 5.6 percent is the highest rate in more than a decade and shows a labour market clearly in crisis says Sandra Grey, President of the NZ Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi.
“The data shows that we had 171,000 people unemployed in the June quarter, and the last time the unemployment rate was this high was September 2015. The number of people unemployed for more than six months was 69,300 – 40 percent of all those unemployed. This is an economy in the grip of an employment disaster, and the Government needs to get a grip.
“Just about every indicator that could get worse, is now worse. Inflation is at 4.1 percent, but 74 percent of workers got a pay rise less than 3 percent, and 44 percent of workers saw no pay rise at all. A full-time worker on the average wage is now worse off in real terms from last year. Workers in both the public and private sectors are worse off than they were a year ago. When there are more workers chasing fewer jobs, workers lose the power to bargain. That is not an accident of the market – it is the predictable result of choices this Government has made.
“The problem of youth unemployment continues. According to StatsNZ there was a 19.5 percent increase in the number of unemployed 15-24 year olds this year. Māori and Pacific Peoples unemployment rates are still double the rate of the general population. Altogether, there were 4.8m fewer hours worked in the economy last year than was the case in December 2023.
“There are now 440,000 people underutilised in New Zealand, which is up 32,000 in just three months. This is the broader measure of labour market capacity and tells us that the headline rate of unemployment is hiding the true scale of worklessness.
“This Government asked for three years to fix the economy. Yet here we are with the unemployment rate at decade long highs, inflation at 4.1 percent, wages going backwards in real terms, and thousands more people on Jobseeker Support. Is this what being ‘back on track’ looks like?
“We do not have to accept this. Aotearoa can choose a government that lifts wages instead of suppressing them, that invests in the jobs of the future instead of cutting them, and that treats full employment as something worth working for. That choice is on the ballot on 7 November.”
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/08/05/unemployment-rate-highest-in-more-than-a-decade-labour-market-in-crisis/
Back to index · Read original article
9. Arts Award Applications – NZSA Shaw Writer’s Award 2026
August 7, 2026
Source: New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa (PEN NZ Inc)
Applications are OPEN
An award supporting writers of new fiction – $5,000
The New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa (PEN NZ Inc) announce the 2026 opening of this award, which supports the completion and/or publication of new fiction by a mid-career fiction writer from New Zealand.
The NZSA Shaw Writer’s Award was established by novelist Tina Shaw to encourage the development of great novels by mid-career fiction writers who are working on a new project. All applicants must be New Zealand citizens or permanent residents.
Want to Apply?
This award is open to mid-career New Zealand fiction writers, meaning any writer with a growing body of published word who has published at least two standalone works. While a broad range of fiction and publication models will be considered, please check the guidelines carefully before applying.
First: Read the Terms and Conditions for the NZSA Shaw Writer’s Award.
Then: Fill in the NZSA Shaw Writer’s Award application form.
An award for a New Zealand writer of fiction – $5,000
The NZSA Shaw Writer’s Award opens for applications 7 August 2026, and will close at midnight 18 September 2026.
Submissions must be made online. Unsuccessful applicants will be advised before recipients are announced. Successful recipients will be contacted directly, and we will also publish the announcement on the NZSA websites and social media platforms.
2025 Winner
The 2025 winner of the NZSA Shaw Writer’s Award was Cristina Sanders who said:
“Thank you Tina Shaw! The timing of this award is perfect; I’m off to wander Te Rohe Pōtae next week, whispering up ghosts and stories, tracing our colonial history in the geography of hills and rivers. I’m am so grateful to the judges for considering my story, with all its peculiarities, worth telling.”
About the Award
Tina Shaw says of her award, “It’s true that our New Zealand writers frequently express the feeling that their mid-career progress is slower than that of new writers, who can more readily garner media interest for their publications,” says Shaw.
As a result, the award is intended not only to offer the recipient the freedom that money brings but also to increase the chances of a mid-career writer being recognised as a “good business” prospect to be welcomed by publishers.
Applicants will be shortlisted by a judging panel, with the final winner selected by Tina Shaw in consultation with and advised by the shortlist judging panel.
The New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa administers the prize. Entries for the NZSA Shaw Writer’s Award must be made via the New Zealand Society of Author’s website (authors.org.nz) by the advertised deadline, with the winner announced after judging has been completed.
Notes
The New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa PEN NZ Inc is the principal organisation representing writers in Aotearoa. Founded in 1934, it advocates for the right to fair reward and creative rights, administers prizes and awards, works across the literary sector to make Aotearoa New Zealand writers and books more visible, and runs professional development programmes for writers.
Back to index · Read original article
10. Employment and Health – NZ’s ‘lowest-paid’ community nurses strike
August 6, 2026
Source: New Zealand Nurses Organisation
Dozens of NZNO’s Total Care Health North Island members will hold a full withdrawal of labour strike on Friday 7 August from 8.30am to 4.30pm. The pickets take place in Hamilton, Auckland and Havelock North (Hawke’s Bay).
Working under the ACC Nursing Services Contract for Total Care Health by Access, they provide essential care to patients with complex health needs and those requiring wound care under ACC criteria.
NZNO delegate and Total Care nurse, Krystal Lewis, says: “Our nurses are on the road up to seven days a week, travelling far and wide to assess, treat, support, and prevent clients from requiring hospital admission. They deliver highly skilled, compassionate care in people’s homes, often in challenging and isolated environments.
“Despite the vital role we play in keeping people well and reducing pressure on hospitals, our value is not reflected by our employer. We remain the lowest-paid community nursing workforce, despite the complexity, responsibility, and flexibility our roles demand.”
Auckland
When: 10.30am – 11.30pm, Friday 7 August
Where: 24 Manukau Road, Epsom
Hamilton
When: 11.30am – 12 noon, Friday 7 August
Where: 133 Collingwood Street, Hamilton East
Havelock North
When: 11am – 12 noon, Friday 7 August
Where: 3 Martin Place, Havelock North
Back to index · Read original article