AM Edition: Here are the top 10 politics articles on LiveNews.co.nz for September 7, 2026 – Full Text
1. Winston Peters:
September 6, 2026
Source: New Zealand First
An Uncertain World
We are living through the most challenging international environment that New Zealand has faced in the past 80 years. Navigating chaotic conditions such as these requires experience.
And experience has never mattered more.
This is not a time for performative posturing and senseless virtue signalling. It’s a time for cool heads, rational judgements about what is possible, and an active diplomacy that listens, learns, and adapts to the chances when they present themselves.
That’s what we’ve done in the last three years.
It has been in stark contrast to the vacuum that was left by the Labour government in the preceding three years.
The chasm that was left in our international relationships was immense when we came into government, and the position Labour left New Zealand in, in the midst of such an unstable world and economically precarious position was potentially devastating.
The world is in a troubled state, the worst we can remember. And yet, having returned last week from the Pacific Islands Forum, we are hopeful, because our discussions were gripped by how our friends, like us, see opportunity amidst so much turmoil.
We haven’t needed lectures from others to act; no, we’ve been seizing chances to advance New Zealand’s economic and security relationships with energy ever since this term began. Our 80 plus overseas trips have not been to collect passport stamps, but to enhance existing agreements, or create new ones, whether in our region, the Pacific, or in Asia, South America, Europe and the Nordics.
In country after country, we have learned first-hand that they want to do more with us, they too see opportunity, and our job is to make the most of them.
That said, do not underestimate just how disruptive the geo-strategic environment is. It’s a hugely complex and challenging period we are facing. This places an enormous premium on experience, and through experience, good judgements that protect New Zealand’s vital interests.
We take the world as it is, not as some cloistered varsity lecturer or woke leftie wants it to be. The record shows that we have exercised sound judgement when it has mattered most.
With experience comes prudence, and with diplomacy comes opportunity, and that is why we are guardedly optimistic that New Zealand will emerge from the serious global disruptions in a strong position to exploit every opportunity that we create or that comes our way.
The State of the Economy
As for the state of the economy, well we all know the economy isn’t where it should be. We all know that, without having to be told because kiwis are struggling sometimes working two, even three jobs, just to make ends meet.
New Zealand First unlike the rest, has constantly said that it will take time to turn our economy around.
We have been open – and when other parties at the last election said that they could fix it within three years – we said that was a mistake. We knew the damage done to the economy by the previous Labour government couldn’t be undone in three years. We know it can be fixed – but it will take time. And we need to communicate that to New Zealanders, to ensure kiwis understand the challenge, and join us on the pathway to economic and social recovery.
We are making positive movements as an economy in such uncertain times. But we can, and must, do better.
Inflation is on the rise again, not nearly as bad as under Labour, but it is on the rise.
Interest rates are on the rise again, not nearly as bad as under Labour, but on the rise.
Our slow economic recovery has been set back by events in the Middle East. And yet, stability in the middle east is likely to be restored more quickly than New Zealand’s economic return to recovery.
And that’s because, our government inherited a disaster of massive overborrowing, and spending not on production, not on wealth creation, not on employment, and not on exports, but purely on consumption.
And we’re paying a massive price for that now.
We just had the COVID Inquiry showing the previous Labour government borrowed sixty billion dollars to deal with COVID, and yet they spent thirty billion of it on something else.
That is half of the sixty billion wasn’t spent on COVID. And you’re sitting in this audience and the mainstream media here today, and none of them have told you what the thirty billion was wasted on.
We have turned the economy around – there is growth, but not as much as we need.
The current economic climate and the realities of our situation just shows the sad thing about New Zealand over the past fifty years.
We went from being in the top three in the world to a non-competing economy.
Back then we had strong growth of over five percent a year, every year, and MPs who understood nationalism, who understood the national interest.
And then we had the neoliberal experiment of Labour’s Roger Douglas and then National’s Ruth Richardson and the rest has been a massive disaster.
We became the victim of a totally unfettered free market – straight out of the neoliberal economic Milton Freidman textbook.
The left and right, Labour then National, went on to sell our assets, privatise our country, open our borders to mass immigration, open our society to every wild-west simpleton ideology – an ideology that has been proven over the past forty years to be an abject failure and purveyor of misery and struggle.
Only one party leader and one party – New Zealand First – has never subscribed to that ideology.
New Zealand First began because we opposed that ideology.
We have always believed in economic nationalism – where we own our country’s assets, where we have targeted government intervention, where we give a hand up in times of need, where our country gives capitalism a human face.
Paris Accord
There have been a number of things that occurred over the past week when we have been overseas that need addressing.
Last week the Prime Minister said that the Paris Accord obligations were a ‘non-negotiable bottom line’. If that’s true, up to $22 billion of our hard-earned taxpayers’ money is going offshore.
It’s just common sense that instead of draining our money offshore, into foreign economies, we invest it looking after our own environment.
And New Zealand First is the only party that believes that.
We need to look at the illogical state of what the Paris Accord actually means. Around sixty percent of the worlds CO2 emissions come from four countries – China, United States, Russia, and India. New Zealand’s emissions amount to only around 0.17%.
Why are we making a rod for our own backs, punishing our farmers and our taxpayers and our economy, when China or the US could sneeze and produce more CO2 overnight than we do in a year?
Here is what a lot of people don’t know. China built more than 50 large coal powered power plants just last year – that’s one a week. And what did the NZ Labour Party do? Ban coal. Closed Marsden Point.
What are the Greens doing? Screaming blue-murder that the world is going to end because New Zealand isn’t cutting our emissions enough. These MPs are on another planet.
The former longest serving Labour Party PM in the UK, Tony Blair, made a similar statement to New Zealand First’s about what the world needs to do on the Paris Accord. The world is catching on and we are going to get left behind in crippling debt and a swamp of regulations on our productive sector if we remain signed up to the Paris Agreement.
We are in the Heartland of agriculture today, the Waikato, and we need to stop this nonsense.
New Zealand First is saying we need to get out of the Paris Accord altogether.
Willie Jackson Co-Governance / Māori Apprenticeships
Willie Jackson again last week became the gift that just keeps on giving.
He continues to reveal with a megaphone all of the things that Labour are planning to do if they get back to power.
On Q&A last week he was asked if Labour was going to bring back co-governance.
Willie said “apparently co-governance scares people, so we might give it a new name”.
Whatever new name he wants to give it, it will still be:
Separatist.
Racist.
Apartheid.
Co-governance is the destruction of our democracy. That’s why New Zealand Fists opposes it.
Because we believe in one people, one flag, one country, one law for all.
He is announcing out loud what Labour are planning to do – reverting to type and going straight back to dividing this country by race.
They are on a patronising separatist race to the bottom along with the Greens, Te Pati Māori, and Opportunity Party.
Labour also announced separatist funding for apprenticeships to ensure young people get the skills and training they need to get a job.
But there is one catch – this policy only applies to Māori.
Why funding just for Māori who are struggling? Why not all struggling kiwis?
Our vision and values as a country should be based on need not race – the sooner we get rid of separatist thinking and work together as one people the sooner we will have a better future together as one people.
Janet Dickson
Last week the real estate agent Janet Dickson lost her licence for refusing to take a compulsory cultural tikanga and te Tiriti course..
This tikanga course has no relevance to Janet Dickson’s real estate job.
No one should lose their job for refusing to take a tikanga course that has no relevance to what their job is.
This course add-on does not help one real Māori obtain accommodation.
This is woke political and cultural correctness gone mad.
Māori Party Destructive Bottom Lines
And last week, the Labour Party’s coalition partner, the Māori Party, released a tax policy – they called a “bottom line”.
They want to introduce a wealth tax, a massive corporate tax, a stamp duty, a property speculation tax, and an offshore speculation tax.
New Zealand needs to become more productive and encourage New Zealanders to start businesses that employ people, rebuild industry, and make us wealthy again.
The Māori Party instead think the way to grow employers is by soaring business tax rate, making us uncompetitive with other countries in attracting investment.
This is both a jobs killer and a business killer.
And here’s the rub.
These wealth taxes don’t apply to Māori.
This is a policy for the taxpayer funded Māori elite, by the taxpayer funded Māori elite, from the taxpayer funded Māori elite.
We are the only party that has never done a deal with the separatist Māori Party and we never will.
What is worse, is the Māori Party are now actively campaigning against people giving their party vote to the Māori Party.
They are wanting to manipulate the Māori vote by telling people to party vote for some other party on the left.
This is after giving everyone a lecture for decades on the importance of an independent Māori vote, and why other Māori MPs are not Māori enough.
All they have done is treat Māori with disdain, turn up to parliament once a month, and do a haka now and again in the House.
And who wants to sit with them at Cabinet with their extremist views? The Labour Party.
Opportunity Party’s Communist Consultants
Another party the Labour Party wants to work with is the shiny new Opportunity Party.
The Opportunity Party wants homeowners to pay 1.75% of your home’s land value every year, that’s on top of your local rates.
Now you will have to pay an annual rent to the government.
And when the leader of the Opportunity Party was asked how an old couple could afford a $20k land tax bill every year, she said “they will have to downsize their house to afford it”.
This is blisteringly ignorant. But it gets worse.
Because, the $20k per annum from an old couple on the pension is not going to infrastructure, health, education, fuel or food prices.
It will be used for a Universal Basic Income of $19,400 every year, for everyone, for life, even if they are not working.
Opportunity Party calls this ‘fairness’.
New Zealand First calls it ‘communism’.
The question is, what are you as the voter, going to call it?
The Opportunity Party also wants to raise the youth court age to twenty-five years old – however, when they were questioned on that, they quickly deleted the 25 year court age from their website and then said they haven’t figured out the new court age yet.
And their constitution has the unelected board having the power to veto any caucus decision.
Their ‘redistribution of wealth’ and bludging tax policy doesn’t stack up.
And born in Fiji and immigrated to New Zealand, she says the country’s name should be called “Aotearoa New Zealand”.
And who wants to sit with them in Cabinet? The Labour Party.
Green Party Debt Machine
The Greens want an $88 billion debt increase, and have a new policy bribe to give $2.4 billion to Marae – without any oversight or audit of taxpayers’ money.
If you’re a Māori, tell us honestly, what does that reflect about what the Greens think of you?
This is inverse racism of the worst sort. They think they can use a bribe to get your vote. This doesn’t reflect respect for you, but sheer contempt for who you are.
The Greens care more about a geopolitical war happening ten thousand miles away that they know nothing about, than what is happening in their own country.
The are obsessed with race, gender, pronouns, and protests, performative politics, virtue signalling, and woke cancel culture, and they have completely lost sight of what their party once stood for.
English Language
The Green Party MP Tamatha Paul said in parliament that English was a ‘bastard language’.
She should have been booted out of parliament for using that word for a start.
We are proud of our country’s history and our foundation English language – which is now an official language thanks to New Zealand First.
Two days ago a Bog-Irish Band called “Kneecap” backed Tamatha Paul’s comments stating that the English language was a ‘colonisers’ bastard language’.
We are not going to sit by and be lectured by some bunch of low IQ weasels who have no idea about history, and even less of an idea about the woke cultural madness they foolishly promote – that goes for the hopeless TikTok politicians like Tamatha Paul too.
The fact is the Greens are no longer worried about the environment like Rod Donald and Jeanette Fitzsimons once were – they have turned into a bunch of weirdo globalists who like to sanctimoniously lecture people – while wearing costumes from some other country.
And who wants to sit at the Cabinet table with them? The Labour Party.
Old Labour Is Gone
Ladies and gentlemen, this is the stark truth. The Labour Party that you once knew, perhaps even supported, is no more.
That party is gone. All of these polices and parties they are willing to support are proof of that.
Can you imagine Helen Clark or Michael Cullen, or Bob Tizard or Peter Frazer signing up to this?
These are people who believe in a separatist society, and who want to borrow, tax, and spend – but have zero economic credentials, or even vision, to deliver growth.
Chris Hipkins and Labour are willing to work with parties like Opportunity, Greens, and the Māori Party because Labour care more about the number of seats that will give them power, rather than the danger of who it is they will share power with.
Ladies and gentlemen, part of New Zealand First’s mission is to keep these dangerous lefties out of power.
The Choice On The Right
This year we have been packing the halls around the country with ordinary hardworking kiwi battlers who see the only party talking common sense.
They all see what makes New Zealand First different from every other party.
We are the only socially conservative party.
We are the only nationalist party.
We are the only patriotic party – a word that is now so often criticised. We stand proud to be patriots of New Zealand.
What’s most important, is that we are the only party that can counter-balance the present spectrum of extremists in parliament.
And we have the vitally experienced team and the bold policies to back it up.
New Zealand First is not just running in another election this year, we are running to save our country economically and socially from extremists.
Some Announced Bold Policies
We have announced a policy to break up the power companies’ monopoly, and drive power prices down.
We have announced a policy to split the supermarket duopoly, and drive food prices down.
We have announced a policy to re-establish a competitive New Zealand owned state bank, to drive banking charges down.
We have announced a policy to return mining royalties, created in the regions, back to the regions.
We have announced establishing a proper transparent inquiry into those who were injured by the Covid 19 vaccine – so we can find out exactly what happened, who was responsible, and publicly hold them to account.
Above all, on Covid 19, we want to hold to account those politicians who were told not to give the second vaccine to 12-17 year olds, withheld that advice from parents and 311,000 young people, wrongly, got the second vaccine.
If this was a transparent democracy then how could Hipkins and Verrall still be in politics today.
We announced our KiwiSaver policy with automatic $1000 sign-up at birth. It means the day a baby is born it gets $1000 in its account to start saving.
We have announced our policy is to establish a $100 billion Future Fund that will invest in a thirty-year infrastructure plan for our country.
And we have announced a policy to ensure that by 2029 only citizens are allowed to vote in our country. We are going to fix one of the loosest electoral laws in the world.
We have announced a policy to have a referendum on the continued existence of the Māori Seats.
And to be independent from events like in the Strait of Hormuz, we announced a policy to invest $1billion to start exploring our gas and oil reserves in our deep-sea basins so we can own and export our own oil and gas.
And we announced the ‘Kiwi Kids Grant’ that will support New Zealand citizens raising their first three children, through the first three years of their lives – $5000 per child for each of the three years.
And while all the other parties argue about spending and taxation, New Zealand First is different.
We are talking about doubling our economy by 2050. Which is the only way we are going to be able to pay for the things that New Zealanders need.
Value of Citizenship
New Zealand needs to start viewing our citizenship as most other countries around the world do – as a privilege that comes with special and unique rights.
This does not take away from migrants the ability to move here and help build our country, from showing total commitment and patriotism for New Zealand by becoming a citizen.
We have massively allowed so many of our standards to drop.
Even the most basic of privileges and rights in any country like voting has in our country become more like an expectation for anyone, rather than a unique right for New Zealanders.
Ladies and gentlemen, why do so many ‘apologetic globalists’ act shocked and dismayed that a political party is wanting to ensure that citizenship actually mean something?
There is a difference in this election. Kiwis are looking at what parties are offering as their values and principles in these uncertain times.
Campaign Announcement: Citizen Only Super
In recent years, some commentators have questioned the affordability of NZ Super.
Our NZ Superannuation scheme was designed to look after our seniors in their retirement.
Kiwis who left school sometimes at the age of fifteen or sixteen, worked two, sometimes three jobs, for forty or fifty years of their lives paying taxes – sometimes through the highest tax periods in our country’s history.
They deserve to be looked after in their retirement.
With our growing older population and the increasing costs of super on taxpayers, how is it fair that the tax burden of supporting seniors now goes to paying for the full retirement of someone who has migrated to our country and only lived and paid taxes for sometimes less than half of the time compared to those who have worked their whole lives here?
We are a fair society, and we should always strive to maintain that – it is what makes our country unique.
When NZ Super was established in 1977, it was not in the context of the immigration levels we currently have.
Over just the past twenty years, New Zealand has had a total net migration of around 650,000 people into our country, at an average of over 30,000 each year.
That means more people than the population of Christchurch have moved to New Zealand in the past twenty years.
And with that 650,000 migrants that has come with it a percentage tax burden just for NZ Super which is a ticking timebomb.
Under current settings, you don’t have to be a New Zealand citizen to gain full access to NZ Super payments.
In fact, you don’t even have to be a permanent resident. You only need to have a resident visa.
How have we come to a point of having no value or meaning of being a New Zealand Citizen?
Currently, someone who has lived in New Zealand for just twenty years, and only need to be in the country for five years after the age of fifty, can be eligible for full super payments.
That means they only have to be in New Zealand for one year out of every three after the age of fifty, and they can get the same full amount as someone who has worked their entire life paying taxes since they were fifteen years old.
How is that fair?
As the old saying goes – “generous to a fault”.
The annual superannuation bill for older migrants has hit a billion dollars.
In December 2025, the Crown paid $2 million a week to over 42,000 super annuitants who became resident in New Zealand aged 50 or older.
Annually, the total works out at over $1 billion.
That sum has more than doubled in the past 10 years – from $500 million in 2015, to $1 billion last year.
New Zealand First believes we need to instil some meaning and value back into being a Kiwi, and back into being a New Zealand Citizen.
Today we are announcing a campaign policy that only New Zealand citizens will be eligible for New Zealand Super.
This policy will have a grace period to take effect within the next three years.
If you want to get NZSuper then you need to sign up, be proud enough of New Zealand, and show full commitment to our country and become a citizen – our taxpayers should no longer continue to be used as a bottomless pit by some migrants to our country.
This is about economic fairness, and it is about putting New Zealanders first.
NZFirst Party of Conservatism, Patriotism, Nationalism
We signed a coalition agreement to govern with stability and experience three years ago – and we have kept our word.
New Zealand First brings what is too often missing in politics – experience and common sense.
New Zealand First brings a commitment to New Zealand industry, to manufacturing, to jobs right here for our own people.
New Zealand First brings commonsense to immigration policy – where we allow in people that we need, not people who need us.
We believe in infrastructure before population growth, not afterwards, and infrastructure focused on fixing what’s broken, not flash upgrades and vanity projects.
New Zealand First brings traditional kiwi conservative values – where hard work should be rewarded, where job security and home ownership underpins a stable family life.
We want a country where young people aren’t worried about their family’s future, or where they see better opportunities overseas.
We are the party of social conservatism, patriotism, and nationalism. Those values are what it means to be a Kiwi – and New Zealand First is proud to not only stand by those values, but to fight for them.
We must be focussed on what New Zealanders gave us a mandate to do – turning this country around with policies and values that will give our country a better future – driving down the cost of living, cost of food, cost of power, cost of fuel, and turning this economy around – and doing it all with stability and experience.
We in 2023 inherited an economic nightmare. But not enough government members of parliament understood that.
This pivotal election voters want to hear a clear and unified message – that we are going to win, and take New Zealand back to being a leading economy again.
Challenging the Status Quo
The greatest threat to this blind ideology, to social elitism, and to the status quo, is New Zealand First.
And the country we are defending is called New Zealand – it’s in our party’s name.
We fight for the hardworking blue-collar Kiwi battler, who just wants the chance to help build a country they are proud of.
In this election, we have a rare chance to change the shape of parliament for the better, and in doing so, to reshape our country the way you want it.
We are asking you to make a choice with our future generations in mind.
Take back control from the Wellington bubble.
Take back control from those who choose to be CV politicians, where they are here one day, “no more gas in the tank”, and are gone the next – taking with them a rolodex of international jobs, speaking circuits, or book tours, looking back over their shoulder at New Zealand’s decline – which they caused.
New Zealand First, from our launch thirty-three years ago, has been battling that elitist status quo. No one can deny that. On issue after issue that needed public exposure, the rest remain silent. When others wouldn’t raise a finger, we have raised the roof.
Conclusion
Ladies and gentlemen, we are all here because we love our country, and we are proud of it.
True democracy is a rare flower in the history of humanity.
Down thousands of years living in democracy with freedom is a historical rarity.
We have inherited a free country that our forebears fought and died for, and it’s our job to preserve it.
But only if we are proud of what we have inherited can we come together and move forward to shape the vision of our country’s future.
We live in a country that, at its core, traditional New Zealand values once saw us amongst the world’s leaders – hard work, fair pay, valuing our citizenship, building a sense of community, and knowing who we are as kiwis.
We must remember, New Zealand is the beneficiary of Western values, democracy, and the rule of law. And the advancement and enhancement of those principles have only occurred in those societies that have united together as one people – and who celebrate their nationhood instead of perpetuating division.
There is a lot of uncertainty around the world and at home, but we must keep hope alive that, with hard work and perseverance, tomorrow will be better.
New Zealand First is nationalist, patriotic, and socially conservative – values that we fight for.
It hasn’t been easy – but things in life worth doing never are.
We must never forget that challenge.
We must never stop believing in New Zealand.
That is our vision and that is our mission.
To protect, to save, and to restore New Zealand’s place at the top of the world.
By putting New Zealand and New Zealanders first.
We are asking you to join us – and Party Vote New Zealand First.
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/06/winston-peters/
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2. Speech: Constructive 2026
September 6, 2026
Source: New Zealand Government
Good afternoon, and firstly can I say how pleased I am to be here with you all. My thanks to Ankit and the team at Master Builders for your ongoing leadership and contribution to New Zealand’s building sector, and for this exceptional event.
It’s a real pleasure to be here with so many industry leaders, and I am grateful for the opportunity having recently taken on the Building and Construction portfolio.
It’s a portfolio I’m thrilled to have responsibility for and look forward to meeting and hearing from many of you in the room today as we continue our important work.
Construction plays a central role in New Zealand’s economic success, something everyone in this room will appreciate. It is one of our largest industries, contributing close to 8 per cent of GDP and employing about one in ten New Zealand workers.
You deliver the homes people live in, the infrastructure communities rely on, and the commercial buildings that support businesses and workers.
Given that significance I would like to impart my sincere commitment to maintaining and building on momentum when it comes to the portfolio work programme.
My objective is to make building and construction more affordable in New Zealand by fixing the basics through removing unnecessary and unworkable compliance and restrictions and build the future of the sector through meaningful reform that simplifies what, where and who builds.
My objective is an affordable, growing and resilient sector.
And green shoots are emerging, with many parts of New Zealand seeing increased building activity and improving confidence.
The work we are doing will further address the challenges you face and I’m keen to keep hearing industry perspective on what would add to the building sector’s stability and resilience.
As recovery gathers pace, the task for government is to ensure the building system supports growth rather than holds it back. Achieving that will require coordination across government, councils, and the wider construction sector.
One area where the Government can continue make a real difference is by reducing unnecessary complexity in the building system.
For too long, builders, developers and homeowners have had to navigate processes that are overly complex, inconsistent, and time-consuming.
We have already implemented several reforms to address this including removing consent requirements for granny flats, making it easier to use high quality overseas certified building products, and a year ago set inspection targets for building consent authorities.
The latest monitoring report was encouraging, showing a strong response across Building Consent Authorities; 62 of the 64 BCAs reporting wait time data met the target in the June quarter 2026, with 97.8 percent of around 87,000 inspections completed within three working days, mostly on the same day.
This means fewer delays during construction, helping lower holding costs and get people into their homes sooner.
Our goal is for a building system that is faster, fairer, and more effective, while continuing to maintain the standards New Zealanders rightly expect.
That is why I am very pleased to announce that from this coming Monday, 7 September, the plumbers and drainlayers self-certification scheme will be open for business.
From Monday, certifying plumbers and drainlayers will be able to apply for an endorsement to be able to self-certify that their own work complies with a building consent without needing a building consent authority to additionally inspect the work.
This will save professionals and homeowners time and money. There will no longer be an excuse for jobs being delayed while enduring long waits for inspections of straightforward plumbing and drainlaying work.
It will also free up building consent authorities to focus on inspections where they’re needed and help reduce the time you need to wait for an inspection to be carried out.
I’d like to acknowledge the significant input from industry in helping to make the scheme fit-for-purpose. This scheme is going to make a real difference in making the consenting system more effective and efficient.
You can also have your say as we progress the Building Amendment Bill, with submissions open until November.
The Bill will deliver the most significant building system reforms in 20 years, with the express purpose of improving regulation and supporting New Zealand industry to grow and deliver the homes and buildings we need.
It introduces a move to proportionate liability, and away from the current joint and several liability rule which acts as a handbrake to the building system by driving risk-averse behaviour – because parties with deeper pockets can end up paying for defects well beyond their share of responsibility.
Too often, parties make decisions based on managing liability exposure rather than managing risk effectively, adding cost and delays.
Proportionate liability will create a fairer and more balanced framework by ensuring parties are responsible only for their contribution to a building defect.
Alongside these changes, the Bill strengthens consumer protection and accountability across the sector through mandatory home warranties and professional indemnity insurance requirements for designers, architects, and engineers.
Together, these measures recognise that a more efficient system must also be a trusted system.
Homeowners will have greater confidence that there are protections in place if something goes wrong, while clear insurance and warranty requirements will help strengthen accountability throughout the building process.
The role of trusted builders who stand behind their work will become even more important in maintaining consumer confidence and supporting a well-functioning building system. That is something organisations such as Master Builders have long contributed to and will play a key role in going forward.
The Bill also addresses another issue I regularly hear about from industry: inconsistency in the consenting system.
With 69 BCAs around the country, builders can face different interpretations of similar requirements depending on where they are working. That creates frustration, delay, and unnecessary cost, and a problem I’m sure many in the room are familiar with.
The Bill removes barriers to building consent authorities consolidating functions, sharing resources, and delivering services more efficiently.
This supports a more consistent and streamlined consenting experience while retaining valuable local knowledge and expertise.
As you’ll be well aware, housing delivery depends on more than building consents alone.
As Minister for both Building and Construction and Local Government, I see an opportunity for stronger alignment of reforms across these portfolios.
Greater collaboration between councils, increased use of shared services, more consistent practices, and better digital systems all have the potential to lift performance across the consenting system.
In May this year, the Government announced the Incentives for Growth Fund, a major investment to support councils that enable housing and urban growth.
A more enabling and efficient planning system will complement our building and consenting reforms and help support housing and infrastructure delivery.
The current planning system can be complex, costly, and difficult for applicants to navigate.
New legislation will provide a more transparent, efficient, and user-focused framework that enables development while continuing to appropriately manage environmental effects.
Just as importantly, the sector needs certainty.
A credible long-term pipeline of public infrastructure and development activity gives firms greater confidence to invest in people, apprentices, equipment, and technology.
The more confidence businesses have about future demand, the more willing they are to build capability for the future.
A re-elected National government will also make it easier to build shops, offices and other commercial buildings by formalising producer statements in the Building Act. Where statements from qualified experts meet prescribed requirements, Building Consent Authorities will be required to accept them as evidence that work complies with the Building Code.
National will also designate a specialist Building Consent Authority for large and complex commercial projects. This will provide developers with a single, nationally consistent consenting pathway, reduce dependency on specialist expertise within individual councils, and free up local authorities to focus on residential and standard consents.
These changes will help get major projects moving faster, reduce unnecessary costs, and support economic growth.
A strong pipeline is also critical to workforce development.
I recognise that workforce capacity remains a key challenge for the sector. Meeting future demand will depend not only on attracting and training more skilled workers, but also on improving productivity and adopting new ways of working.
Alongside industry efforts, the Government is supporting apprenticeships through the tertiary education portfolio and strengthening vocational education and training pathways.
With the right reforms, a strong pipeline of work and continued innovation, I am confident the sector can play a leading role in driving economic growth and delivering the homes and infrastructure New Zealand needs.
Thank you.
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/06/speech-constructive-2026/
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3. Lifejacket Bill marks a major step for recreational craft safety
September 7, 2026
Source: Maritime New Zealand
Organisations tasked with keeping recreational craft users safe on the water are looking forward to supporting upcoming changes to lifejacket legislation, which completed its third reading in Parliament this week.
This is an important step towards reducing preventable harm on the water.
The Bill must now receive the Royal assent before it becomes law.
Following this and once it comes into force, everyone on recreational craft six metres in length and under will need to wear a properly fitted lifejacket when the craft is underway.
Safer Boating Forum Chair Sharyn Forsyth acknowledges the work of the Transport and Infrastructure Select Committee and says a clear national requirement for water users on these craft will strengthen one of the sector’s most important safety messages.
“This is a big step for recreational craft safety. The Forum’s members share one goal: helping people enjoy the water and come home safely,” she says.
“Tragically, on average, 17 people die each year in recreational craft incidents. Wearing a properly fitted lifejacket is a simple action that can make the difference when someone unexpectedly ends up in the water.
“I’d like to acknowledge and thank the sector for the significant effort invested over many years in helping make this positive change a reality,” says Ms Forsyth.
Coastguard responds to calls for help on the water year-round and knows how much rides on whether a lifejacket was worn.
Coastguard Tautiaki Moana, CEO Carl McOnie says the change will mean far more people have the chance of survival when something goes wrong on the water.
“Every year our volunteers see the heartbreak of preventable tragedies. A lifejacket keeps someone afloat and visible, and that is what gives our crews the chance to reach them alive, and bring them home to their loved ones,” McOnie says.
Water Safety New Zealand says drowning fatality data is undeniable. Lifejackets save lives on the water.
Water Safety NZ, Chief Executive Glen Scanlon says the change will support a lifejacket-wearing culture.
“A lifejacket cannot help if it is not being worn. This change, once confirmed, is an opportunity to make lifejacket wearing a normal part of every trip on small recreational craft,” Scanlon says.
The change will be administered by regulators; Maritime NZ, police and Harbourmasters.
One of the most diverse regions in the country is Canterbury, with lakes, rivers and coastal recreational spots.
Canterbury Deputy Harbourmaster, Gordon McKay says the change will make it easier for people to understand what is expected on the water.
“A clear national rule will support the work harbourmasters do in their communities to educate all recreational craft users and prevent harm. Simple actions like wearing a properly fitted lifejacket, understanding the conditions and knowing your limits can make all the difference,” Mr McKay says.
Maritime NZ Principal Advisor, Recreational Craft, Matt Wood, says it is good to see the sector working together to support the change.
“We know this will assist in reducing harm on the water and we are working collaboratively with our safer boating partners to ensure everyone heading out knows what the new rule will be.
“We encourage people to prepare now. Check that everyone has the right size and type of lifejacket, that it fits properly and that it is in good condition. Wear it, carry two waterproof ways to call for help, and check the marine weather forecast.”
“We want everyone to enjoy their time on the water and come home safe,” Matt Wood says.
NOTE:
The Safer Boating Forum is a national network of more than 30 organisations working together to reduce preventable harm on the water. Maritime NZ leads the Forum and will coordinate implementation communications with Forum members and co-regulators.
Maritime NZ is publishing commencement information and practical guidance on our website.
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/03/lifejacket-bill-marks-a-major-step-for-recreational-craft-safety/
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4. New Zealand has a window to build a more competitive economy, BusinessNZ says
September 3, 2026
Source: BusinessNZ
BusinessNZ says New Zealand’s economic recovery is gaining real traction – and the country now has a rare opening to put itself on a more competitive international footing for the capital, investment and skilled people every advanced economy is competing for.
Releasing its Election Priorities 2026, Building Tomorrow’s Economy, BusinessNZ has set out the constructive measures it says the next Government should adopt to build on that momentum rather than let it slip away.
They include lower and more competitive tax rates, including corporate taxes, and the indexation of personal income tax thresholds.
BusinessNZ Chief Executive Katherine Rich said New Zealand has every reason to be optimistic about what comes next.
“We are a small country with an extraordinary record of innovation, entrepreneurship and international success, and the numbers back up our optimism. Export earnings surpassing $100 billion for the first time shows what our businesses can do, even in difficult times. Our task now is to build the settings that turn this momentum into a sustained, internationally competitive economy,” Ms Rich said.
Among the reasons for optimism: New Zealand’s economy grew nearly three times faster than Australia’s in the first three months of 2026 – GDP up 0.8 per cent in the March quarter, against Australia’s 0.3 per cent, according to Stats NZ and the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
That gave New Zealand a window to compete with its trans-Tasman neighbour, and the rest of the world, if the next Government was prepared to seize it.
BusinessNZ’s election priorities report is drawn from the expertise of BusinessNZ’s economists, policy specialists and the experience of member businesses across the country.
The settings that will grow the economy
BusinessNZ chief economist John Pask said New Zealand is competing in an international market for capital, investment and skilled people – and the question is not whether recovery happens, but what kind of economy it builds.
“Capital is mobile. Highly skilled workers are mobile. Businesses considering where to establish their next operation, factory, data center or research facility have choices – and New Zealand cannot assume those choices will automatically favour us. But the current environment gives us a genuine opportunity to act, and we should grasp it,” Mr Pask said.
BusinessNZ’s growth agenda centers on three levers:
- A more competitive corporate tax rate – New Zealand’s 28 per cent rate sits well above the OECD average of 24.1 per cent. BusinessNZ is calling for a staged reduction, paired with continued reform of the Overseas Investment Act, to improve New Zealand’s ability to attract and retain internationally mobile capital.
- A more competitive R&D rebate – New Zealand’s R&D Tax Incentive, at 15 per cent, is internationally uncompetitive and business R&D spend (0.98 per cent of GDP) trails the OECD average (2 per cent) so significantly that, at current rates of progress, it would take roughly 75 years to close the gap. BusinessNZ wants the RDTI rate lifted to at least 25 per cent, with a higher rate of up to 50 per cent for firms partnering with local researchers.
- An energy strategy that delivers affordable, reliable and sustainable energy – with renewables already supplying 88.5 per cent of electricity generation in 2025, BusinessNZ wants an enduring National Energy Strategy that treats affordability, security and sustainability as a package, backed by clearer rules on natural gas, emerging fuels and long-term energy contracting.
Mr Pask said tax reform on its own will not transform New Zealand’s prospects. “A low-tax economy can still be a high-cost economy if businesses face unnecessary regulatory barriers. The real question for every policy should be: does this make New Zealand a more attractive place to invest, work and create? Together, these measures send an important signal – New Zealand is open for investment, values enterprise, and rewards work and achievement.”
BusinessNZ also wants personal income tax thresholds indexed to inflation or wage growth to end “fiscal drag,” and a systematic review of outdated thresholds – including the $60,000 GST registration threshold, unchanged since 2009 and now well below Australia’s AU$75,000 equivalent.
Staying the course on reform already under way
BusinessNZ says the single biggest risk to the recovery is not a lack of ideas but a lack of follow-through. The organisation is calling for continuity, not reinvention, across a reform programme already delivering results:
- Resource Management Act reform – the current consenting system costs major infrastructure projects an estimated $1.29 billion a year and now takes nearly twice as long as it did five years ago. BusinessNZ wants the Planning Bill and Natural Environment Bill enacted before this year’s election, with independent analysis showing the new regime could lift GDP by 0.56 per cent a year by 2050 (worth up to $3.1 billion annually), deliver $13.3 billion in savings over 30 years, and remove roughly 45 per cent of current consent requirements – between 15,000 and 22,000 fewer consents on 2023/24 volumes.
- Education reform – BusinessNZ wants the current curriculum and qualifications overhaul, including the replacement of NCEA with new upper-secondary qualifications and the embedding of structured literacy and numeracy, fully resourced and given time to bed in, rather than restarted.
- The Ministry for Regulation – for the first time, the scale of New Zealand’s regulatory system has been mapped, revealing complexity spread across more than 260 regulators. BusinessNZ wants the Ministry and the Regulatory Standards Act 2025 retained, resourced and reviewed on schedule, not unwound.
- Infrastructure – BusinessNZ is calling for a genuinely bipartisan approach to long-term infrastructure planning, with accountability across government agencies for delivering shared priorities, so investment decisions survive a change of government.
- Health and safety reform – current initiatives modernising health and safety regulation and reducing compliance burdens are backed as “positive steps” that should continue.
- Employment law modernisation – including the Employment Leave Act and related changes to minimum wage and holiday entitlement calculations – should proceed to reduce compliance complexity for salaried, incentive-based and variable-hours roles.
The BusinessNZ Election Priorities 2026 report will be available at BusinessNZ.org.nz once embargo lifts, 4am Thursday 3 September.
The BusinessNZ Network including BusinessNZ, EMA, Business Central and Business South, represents and provides services to thousands of businesses, small and large, throughout New Zealand.
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5. Defence News – NZDF teams with Customs to monitor Pacific regions
September 3, 2026
Source: New Zealand Defence Force
3 September 2026
Surveillance assets from the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) and New Zealand Customs Service have been in action across the Pacific in August, helping regional partners safeguard their waters and protect vital ocean resources.
At the request of the Government of Fiji, the jointly owned Royal New Zealand Navy and Customs Uncrewed Surface Vessels (USV) Tahi and Rua have completed a four-week deployment in the waters of Fiji’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), strengthening maritime surveillance and awareness across Fiji’s waters.
USV controllers from the NZDF and Customs monitored the operation from the Customs Integrated Targeting and Operations Centre in Auckland, while NZDF analysts remained at Devonport Naval Base in New Zealand.
Together, the USVs surveilled 145 vessels.
Customs Assistant Comptroller Maritime Operations, Paul Campbell, says the deployment demonstrates the value of agencies working operations together to help build a clearer picture of maritime activity across the region.
“Bringing our people, technology, and intelligence together allows us to share information in real time, make faster and better-informed decisions, and provide stronger support to our Pacific partners.
“This closer way of working has and will continue to deliver benefits and gives us more options for future deployments.
In the skies above, a Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) P-8A Poseidon patrolled the EEZs of Fiji, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, and two high seas pockets, in support of the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency.
Fifty-three fishing vessels were observed and reported, with many of them either not holding fishing licences or deliberately obscuring their name plates.
In the Tongan EEZ, an RNZAF MC-12K King Air aircraft completed a week-long series of patrols covering the areas of the Ha’apai Island group and northeast of Tongatapu, for the Government of Tonga.
His Majesty’s Armed Forces Tonga Maritime Intelligence highlighted vessels and areas of interest for the crew to investigate, with 20 being photographed for follow-up by authorities.
The aircraft was also tasked to photograph two volcanic islands for the Department of Lands and Survey.
Commander Joint Forces New Zealand, Major General Rob Krushka, says the maritime and air deployments send a strong message to those who seek to take advantage of Pacific nations.
“We stand by our Pacific neighbours as they work to protect their resources and livelihoods, upholding fishing regulations and preventing transnational serious and organised crime.
“We will continue to make our capabilities available to our Pacific whānau so we can face the threats to our neighbourhood together.
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6. HKUST Tops Hong Kong Universities with More Than 1,000 HKPFS Recipients
September 3, 2026
Source: Media Outreach
Advancing the City’s Development as an International Hub for High-Caliber Talent
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 3 September 2026 – As a global magnet for top-tier talent, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has established a stellar track record under the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS). Since the Research Grants Council (RGC) initiated the scheme 17 years ago in 2009, HKUST has welcomed over 1,000 fellowship recipients. Coming from over 50 countries and regions, these elite students account for more than a quarter of all HKPFS fellowship recipients to date, reinforcing HKUST’s position as the leading destination for HKPFS awardees among Hong Kong’s University Grants Committee (UGC)-funded universities.
In the 2026/27 academic year, which started this September, HKUST has welcomed over 100 new HKPFS recipients. Over the next three years, these doctoral students will receive a combined total of more than HK$112 million in fellowships and research allowances from the HKSAR Government. This achievement underscores HKUST’s world-class research capabilities and commitment to nurturing talent, while affirming its pivotal role in attracting international research talent, supporting Hong Kong’s development into a global hub for high-caliber talent, and advancing the city as an international center for post-secondary education, innovation and technology.
Since the first intake of doctoral students in the 2010/11 academic year, HKUST has enrolled more than 1,000 Fellowship recipients over the past 17 years, accounting for over a quarter of the Scheme’s cumulative total. Notably, the University secured the highest number of HKPFS awardees among Hong Kong’s universities for 14 of those academic years. Following the HKSAR Government’s announcement in the 2025-26 Budget to increase the annual scheme quota to 400, HKUST has welcomed more than 100 recipients in both the 2025/26 and 2026/27 academic years. Each recipient is granted three years of financial support provided by RGC, which includes an annual stipend and research-related allowance worth around HK$358,800 per year.
Deeply encouraged by these achievements, Prof. Nancy IP, President of HKUST,stated: “For 35 years, HKUST has been driven by a commitment not only to advance knowledge, but to generate knowledge that creates meaningful impact. We believe transformative discoveries begin with curiosity, courage, and a willingness to explore the unknown. By fostering a vibrant environment for research, learning, and innovation, we empower our faculty and students to push boundaries and turn ideas into solutions that benefit society.
Over the past 17 years, more than a thousand outstanding students from around the world have chosen HKUST for their postgraduate research journey, enriching our community with diverse perspectives and reflecting the global recognition of our research excellence. Looking ahead, we will continue to attract talent from across the globe, strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration, and support young scholars to tackle the world’s most pressing challenges through research and innovation for the benefit of Hong Kong, our nation, and the world.”
Beyond the support provided under the HKPFS, HKUST offers a comprehensive package to its HKPFS recipients, including a full tuition waiver for four years, research and academic development funding, and guaranteed first-year accommodation, enabling students to fully dedicate themselves to research and expand their international academic networks.
The University also provides a range of scholarships and support schemes for other full-time research postgraduate students, including the Postgraduate Studentship, which provides annual support of over HK$220,000, and the Global Research Award, which supports students in undertaking overseas research and academic exchange activities. In addition, the University has established the “HKUST RedBird PhD Award”. Awardees receive a HK$40,000 recruitment award in their first year, followed by an annual HK$20,000 Academic Excellence Award in subsequent years, subject to satisfactory academic performance. These additional resources provide greater support for their academic development and research pursuits, allowing them to devote themselves fully to achieving research excellence.
The research domains of the HKPFS recipients admitted to HKUST span frontier areas, including artificial intelligence and future computing and electronics, biomedical sciences and translational medicine, materials science and future energy, innovation for business management and fintech, as well as sustainability and green technology. Throughout their PhD journey, they will engage in cutting-edge research while strengthening their research capabilities and teaching skills through scholarly publications, teaching assignments, and international academic exchanges. This rigorous training builds a solid foundation for their future careers in academia, research institutions, the innovation and technology industry, or entrepreneurial ventures.
Prof. Bert SHI, Dean of HKUST Fok Ying Tung Graduate School said, “HKUST’s diverse pool of HKPFS recipients comes from more than 50 countries and regions, bringing talent from around the world together with home-grown undergraduate and master’s graduates, some of whom discovered their passion for research early on through HKUST’s Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, while others chose to pursue advanced studies here after being inspired by cutting-edge research projects led by HKUST faculty. Together, these young doctoral students from diverse cultural and academic backgrounds unite with seasoned faculty members to form a vibrant, international, and dynamic scholarly community.
Upon graduation, HKUST doctoral graduates enjoy exceptional career prospects. Many join world-renowned universities and research institutes, dedicated to nurturing the next generation and chasing scientific breakthroughs. Others embark on entrepreneurial paths, transforming their research achievements into innovative solutions that benefit society. Several of these startups have secured robust backing from the government, investors, and industry partners, flourishing across various sectors to unlock long-term value for society.”
Established by the RGC in 2009, the HKPFS aims to attract outstanding students from around the world who possess exceptional academic achievements and strong research potential to pursue research postgraduate studies at UGC-funded universities in Hong Kong. Recipients are selected through a highly competitive process based on academic performance, research capability and potential, communication skills, and leadership abilities. For the 2026/27 academic year, the scheme offers 400 fellowships.
Hashtag: #HKUST
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.
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7. Ukraine: Deadly Russian attacks on civilians in Kyiv – MSF
September 4, 2026
Source: Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF)
MSF condemns Russia’s strikes on civilian infrastructure and residential areas.
4 September, 2026 – For more than a week, the Russian military has conducted intense missile and drone strikes on Kyiv, Ukraine, and its immediate surroundings, around the clock. Whether targeted or indiscriminate, many attacks have struck residential buildings, medical facilities, and warehouses for pharmaceuticals, food, and other consumer goods — in clear violation of international humanitarian law.
Between 27 August and 3 September, at least 51 people have been killed and nearly 100 injured in the Kyiv region, according to the most recent reports by city and regional authorities.
Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) condemns the Russian armed forces’ strikes on civilian infrastructure and residential areas. An MSF physiotherapy team is providing care at one of Kyiv’s largest hospitals, including for a wounded survivor of a recent attack.
Patients need urgent stabilisation
“I saw the ground shaking, I saw my own blood flowing, and I started crawling toward a shelter,” said an MSF patient who was wounded during a recent drone attack on a food warehouse, where he was working, in the village of Pohreby in the Kyiv region.
“I was on my way to a shelter and talking on the phone. I didn’t make it: I looked back and saw something flying toward me, and then I fell,” the patient added. “The tourniquet was applied in time, and I was taken to the hospital. I was worried not for myself, but for my colleagues who were still inside the building.”
The patient sustained a bone fracture in his right leg and a torn tendon in his left, with lacerations from shrapnel across his body. The patient is currently learning to walk with the aid of a walking frame and is also seeing MSF psychologists.
“It is very important to start rehabilitation as soon as possible and get the patient into an upright position,” said Maksym Riabokon, MSF physiotherapy supervisor, “because if a person lies down, they are at risk of muscle atrophy and congestive pneumonia, and the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract is disrupted. Our main task is to make the patient self-sufficient and independent, to give them the tools and help them as soon as they have stabilized and undergone surgery.”
The mental health toll of near-constant attacks
The air raid alerts and explosions, which have become almost constant in Kyiv and the region, are also affecting the psychological condition of patients.
“It’s very draining,” said Lesia Martseniuk, MSF mental health supervisor. “People are trying to carry on with their work, but this sense of exhaustion is very noticeable, and people are getting more and more tired. Especially given that it is currently impossible to get around Kyiv normally: Bridges are being closed, and some metro stations are out of service.
“Patients tell us that their families are experiencing significant levels of stress. School and kindergarten activities are disrupted during alerts, while parents worry about their children and their safety.”
The sleepless nights are punctuated by the sounds of massive explosions, and the non-stop anxiety deeply affects MSF staff and their families in Kyiv. The whole of Kyiv’s society is suffering.
Notes
In July, MSF released the report, No Safe Place to Heal, documenting relentless attacks on healthcare and medical personnel in Ukraine. The findings show these attacks constitute a deliberate strategy to destroy the medical system and collectively punish people — rather than being an incidental product of Russia’s invasion.
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. For more information visit msf.org.au.
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8. Real estate agency guilty of misconduct for breaches of trust account audit regulations
September 3, 2026
Source: Real Estate Authority
3 September 2026
In a decision released on 14 August 2026 the Real Estate Agents Disciplinary Tribunal found One Up Realty Limited (the Agency) guilty of misconduct under the Real Estate Agents Act 2008 for breaches of real estate trust account audit regulations between the financial years ending 31 March 2018 through to 2024.
The Tribunal censured the Agency and ordered it to pay a fine of $18,000. The Agency’s company officer was ordered to undertake further training and education on trust accounts.
Facts
Under the Real Estate Agents (Audit) Regulations 2009https://www.legislation.govt.nz/secondary-legislation/pco-drafted/2009/279/en/latest/#DLM2393208 (Audit Regulations), all real estate agencies in New Zealand must ensure any money received in respect of a real estate transaction is deposited in a designated trust account, and every agency must keep trust account records in a manner that enables them to be properly audited.
On 24 August 2017, the Agency opened a Trust Account. In accordance with the Audit Regulations, the Agency was required to appoint an auditor, however it did not do so until 29 August 2023. Throughout this time, the Trust Account was operational, received funds relating to 275 transactions and was not audited at the times and in the manner prescribed by the Act and Audit Regulations. During this time REA engaged with the Agency reminding it of its trust account obligations.The Agency admitted that its conduct constituted a reckless contravention of the Act and Audit Regulations and pleaded guilty to the charge.
Reports prepared by the Agency’s auditor retrospectively for the 2018 to 2024 financial years did not identify any irregularities in the handling of trust monies.
The Tribunal decision
In its decision the Tribunal noted that “the Agency was reminded by the [Real Estate Authority] of its obligations to comply with the Audit Regulations and the Act on multiple occasions”, and outlined a series of notifications of requirements, requests for explanation, and referrals to compliance information from the Real Estate Authority to the Agency.
In determining the penalty the Tribunal concluded that the fine ordered against the Agency must be placed at the higher level of the available penalty for misconduct, and noted “[b]reaching the Audit Regulations must be regarded as serious. …However, we take into account that the Agency admitted liability and cooperated with the Authority at an early stage.”
REA Chief Executive Belinda Moffat says that this case highlights the critical importance of compliance with the trust account audit regulations by real estate agencies.
“Real estate agencies handle significant client and customer funds in relation to property transactions. Trust account obligations exist for the protection of consumers, and their funds. If trust accounts are not managed correctly, this could result in financial loss to consumers, reputational damage to the agency, and loss of trust and confidence in the industry as a whole.
Agencies need to have good systems for dealing with client and customer money. They also need sound procedures for oversight of the handling of money and trust accounts. Appointing a qualified auditor is a legal requirement under the Audit Regulations and a key part of the independent oversight required.
As the conduct regulator of the real estate profession, REA seeks to educate and assist agencies to meet their obligations in operating trust accounts. However where we identify reckless, wilful or ongoing non-compliance REA will take stronger regulatory action.
The Tribunal’s decision reminds agencies that failure to comply with the provisions of the Audit Regulations in relation to trust accounts is a serious breach with potentially significant consequences including consumer harm. Agencies’ systems and practices must be fully compliant and company officers are responsible and accountable for ensuring that they remain so.”
Full Real Estate Agents Disciplinary Tribunal decision:
2026-NZREADT-40-Complaints-Assessment-Committee-2302-v-One-Up-Realty-Ltd-14-August-2026.pdfhttps://www.justice.govt.nz/assets/Documents/Decisions/2026-NZREADT-40-Complaints-Assessment-Committee-2302-v-One-Up-Realty-Ltd-14-August-2026.pdf
About REA
The Real Estate Authority (REA) is the independent government agency that regulates the conduct of licensed real estate professionals in New Zealand. We license people and companies working in real estate, provide oversight of the code of conduct, oversee the complaints and disciplinary process for poor conduct by licensees, provide education and guidance to licensees to assist them to meet their regulatory obligations, and provide information to consumers about the real estate transaction process. REA is governed by a Board. The Chair is Denese Bates KC. REA Chief Executive is Belinda Moffat.
People who have concerns about the conduct of a real estate professional can contact the Real Estate Authority (REA) – visit rea.govt.nzhttps://www.rea.govt.nz/ or call 0800 367 732. Consumers seeking independent information about buying and selling property can visit REA’s consumer website settled.govt.nzhttp://www.settled.govt.nz.
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9. East Auckland community to take the plunge for mental wellbeing
September 4, 2026
Source: I Am Hope
4 September 2026
90 seconds. 630 reasons. A community getting behind our kids.
Aucklanders are being invited to start their Friday with a splash as Spring Plunge 2026 returns to Eastern Beach on Friday, 11 September.
Now in its second year, the Spring Plunge is set to become an annual community event, bringing people together for a 90-second plunge into the cold waters of Eastern Beach to remember the 630 Kiwis lost and stand alongside those who may be silently struggling today.
Among those taking the plunge this year are Simeon Brown, MP for Pakuranga and Minister of Health and Transport, Howick Ward Councillor Bo Burns, and Detective Shaun Winstanley, who will also speak at the event.
Winstanley, 39, has been a police officer for 15 years. In 2023, he was shot in the face at close range by an active shooter in Auckland CBD, in an incident that claimed two lives and seriously injured eight people. He spent four days in a coma and months in intensive care and hospital, followed by years of surgeries, rehabilitation and recovery.
Today, he is a passionate advocate for mental wellbeing and resilience.
“I’ve learnt to be grateful for every minute you get, because it’s not promised. We forget that. The ‘what ifs’ can consume you, but they don’t change what’s happened. You’ve got to focus on what you’ve got in front of you and make the most of it,” Winstanley says.
“People see the amazing job that medical staff have done to repair my face after the shooting, but what they don’t see is what still lies beneath. There are still approximately 30 pellets, metal and scar tissue. To use it as a metaphor, we all have our own pellets in our face. You never really know what someone else is carrying underneath it all.
“That’s why we need to be kind to each other. Check in on people. And be grateful for every minute we get, because none of us are promised the next one.”
I Am Hope crew will be taking part and going into the water alongside the community.
I Am Hope Partnership Manager Richie Barnett says having so many people from across the community involved makes the event particularly powerful.
“It’s incredible to see how many people are getting behind this and willing to get out of bed early, get into freezing water and stand together for something so important,” Barnett says.
“Having community leaders like Shaun, Simeon and Bo there makes it even more special. Everyone is showing up in their own way, but the message is the same — look after each other, start the conversations and don’t be afraid to ask how someone is really doing.”
The event comes as Gumboot Friday, the annual iconic event prepares to return on 6 November to raise awareness and fundraise for free counselling without barriers for all young Kiwis aged 5 to 25.
Spring Plunge organisers are encouraging people to bring their mates, workmates, teams and whānau and take on the challenge together.
Spring Plunge 2026
Date: Friday, 11 September 2026
Location: Eastern Beach, Auckland
Time: Arrive 6:15am | Plunge 6:45am
Activity: 90-second Ocean Plunge
Register for Spring Plunge 2026
Walker Homes is the sponsor of Spring Plunge 2026.
Video and imagery: Spring Plunge video and imagery
GUMBOOT FRIDAY IS NOVEMBER 6
Gumboot Friday gives any young New Zealander aged between 5 & 25 free counselling. If they need help, they can get it. When they need it, before it’s too late. With more than 170,000 counselling sessions since 2019, the good is getting done.
Government support helps pay for the counselling. Community support helps keep Gumboot Friday running, so more kids know where to go when they need help.
On Friday 6 November 2026, we’re giving Gumboot Friday a shot in the arm in the hope it will become New Zealand’s Mental Health Day, when Kiwis will gumboot Up and raise funds for young people to access help when they need it.
For more info visit www.gumbootfriday.com
If you or someone you know is 25 or under and needs someone to talk to, visit www.gumbootfriday.com to book a free counsellor today — no referral needed.
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10. Nurse Maude support workers on strike again tomorrow – PSA
September 6, 2026
Source: Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi
Around 250 Nurse Maude support workers will strike again tomorrow and a week later 14 September, after their employer failed to come back with any new proposals following strike action in August.
“Nurse Maude workers are disappointed that their employer still has not put forward a reasonable offer on pay and are cutting two of their sick leave days,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association, Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
“Nurse Maude is out of step with other publicly funded employers who recognise the importance of sick leave to these workers and provide extra sick leave days.”
Workers first went on strike on 31 July and again on 10 August.
“Nurse Maude needs to bring a fair pay offer and withdraw threats to sick leave. Until then, Nurse Maude workers will continue with strike action.”
The PSA wants to see a resolution to this dispute and has filed for facilitation in the Employment Relations Authority.
Picket information for Monday 7 September
- Nelson 8am – Outside Nurse Maude’s offices (Nayland side of building) 4 Kidson Place, Stoke, Nelson
- Christchurch 8.30am – Corner Papanui Road and Mansfield Ave Merivale (close to Nurse Maude’s Mansfield Ave Premises)
- Hutt Valley 8:30am – Corner of High Street and Daysh Street, Avalon, Lower Hutt
- Mana, Porirua 8:30am – 4 Mana Esplanade, down from the bridge. Near the Little Green Olive Coffee Shop in the container.
- Kapiti 8:30am – Corner of Te Roto Drive and Kapiti Road (neat Bin Inn)
Previous statements
- 9 August Nurse Maude workers strike again over low pay offer and removal of sick leave
- 31 July Nurse Maude support workers to strike over irresponsible sick leave cuts
The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.
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