AM Edition: Top 10 Politics Articles on LiveNews.co.nz for October 10, 2026 – Full Text

Source: Paddock to Pantry

9 October 2026

A $25 million expansion programme by an independent New Zealand grocery retailer is set to create up to 1,000 jobs and bring greater supermarket competition to underserved communities nationwide over the next five years, as the business sets its sights on becoming the country’s third-largest grocery retailer.

The company is also calling for the establishment of a government-backed Supermarket Growth Fund to provide low-interest loans to privately owned grocery operators, arguing it would be a comparatively low-cost way to accelerate competition by helping existing independent operators expand more rapidly.

Paddock to Pantry, which recorded a 197% increase in sales over the past year, plans to open more than 20 new grocery stores at a rate of approximately one every three months, beginning with Kinloch, near Taupō, in December 2026, followed by new locations on the North Island’s East Coast and South Auckland in the first quarter of 2027.

The expansion would take its physical retail network from two stores in Karaka and Kahawai Point, Glenbrook, to more than 22 nationwide, while transforming the business from a predominantly online grocery operator into a national bricks-and-mortar supermarket chain.

E-commerce currently accounts for around 90% of the company’s sales, but is expected to fall to approximately 33% within five years as its physical network grows.

The company will target communities underserved by existing supermarket competition, introducing the same competitive grocery promotional pricing across its stores regardless of location. The company says this will help reduce geographic price disparities and put pressure on established supermarket operators in areas where consumers have limited choice.

The five-year investment programme includes approximately $10 million in new retail stores, a proposed 5,000sqm distribution centre and an expansion of the company’s delivery fleet to 25 vehicles.

John Kennerley, Paddock to Pantry business manager, says changes to supermarket competition settings have provided the foundation for independent operators to compete with the major grocery chains, but the rate at which privately owned businesses can expand remains constrained by access to capital.

He says the company has already established the distribution infrastructure, supplier relationships and purchasing scale needed to support a larger retail network, meaning further expansion is primarily a matter of securing premises, fitting out stores and recruiting staff.

“The groundwork has already been done through the changes to supermarket competition settings. Those reforms have opened the door for independent operators like us to compete, and we’ve demonstrated that the model works.

“We’ve already done much of the heavy lifting. We have the distribution infrastructure in place, direct relationships with the major grocery manufacturers and a pricing model that allows us to compete.

“Suitable retail sites are available, and we’ve identified locations where we believe there’s sufficient demand for another supermarket.

“Scaling from here is largely a matter of securing the capital to fit out stores, stock shelves and employ local people.

“That’s why access to low-interest funding could make such an immediate difference. We’re not asking the Government to fund the creation of a new supermarket business. We’re talking about helping established operators replicate a model that’s already working,” he says.

Kennerley says a Supermarket Growth Fund could allow New Zealand’s second tier of privately owned grocery competitors to double or triple their expansion rates, bringing forward investment, employment and pricing benefits that might otherwise take years to achieve.

He says the Government would not need to build or operate supermarkets itself, but could instead provide commercially assessed, repayable loans to businesses with established operations and credible expansion plans.

“Unlike the major supermarket groups, privately owned operators don’t have access to the same financial resources, so expansion has to be funded progressively.

“With access to low-interest, repayable loans, we believe we could at least double our current rollout and potentially triple it. That would mean more supermarkets opening and more jobs being created over the same period.

“We don’t necessarily need another major overhaul of supermarket competition policy. The existing settings are starting to work, but it takes time for independent competitors to build scale.

“Rather than waiting for another international supermarket chain to enter New Zealand and establish a national network from scratch, we could accelerate the growth of businesses already operating here.

“For a relatively modest financial commitment, the Government could unlock substantially greater private investment and bring meaningful competition to underserved communities much sooner,” he says.

Paddock to Pantry’s first new store will be a 500sqm grocery outlet in Kinloch, with larger supermarket-format sites planned for the East Coast and South Auckland.

The company is seeking sites ranging from 500sqm to 1,800sqm, with larger stores expected to employ around 50 people each. The programme could create up to 1,000 retail jobs, alongside additional employment in warehousing, transport and distribution.

Kennerley says the strategy is focused on locations where limited supermarket choice has historically reduced competitive pressure on grocery prices, including both regional centres and metropolitan suburbs.

Paddock to Pantry’s growth follows changes to wholesale grocery access arrangements, which enabled the company to establish the purchasing volumes needed to negotiate directly with major manufacturers.

The business recorded a 197% increase in sales in the 12 months to 31 July 2026, off a multimillion-dollar sales base, and now processes thousands of orders daily, carries more than 2,000 products and sources more than 99% of its purchasing by value directly from manufacturers.

Kennerley says these supplier relationships and the scale of its existing online operation provide the foundation for its physical store expansion.

“We’re not building a handful of specialty food stores. Our ambition is to become New Zealand’s third-largest grocery retailer and provide a genuine alternative to the two dominant supermarket groups.

“We’ve demonstrated that we can compete online on price, range and service. The next stage is translating that into a physical network that brings those benefits directly into more communities,” he says.

The retailer’s established foodservice operations will also help support the expansion, allowing smaller stores to combine traditional grocery retailing with prepared food and other services suited to local demand.

Larger sites will operate more closely to a conventional supermarket model, while smaller stores will have greater flexibility to tailor their offerings to individual communities.

Kennerley says improved road infrastructure between Auckland, Hamilton and Taupō has also helped make expansion more commercially viable by allowing more efficient distribution across wider geographic areas.

The company’s proposed new 5,000sqm distribution centre will increase capacity beyond its existing infrastructure, servicing both its growing brick-and-mortar network and nationwide online grocery operation.

“Every new supermarket represents local employment, investment in commercial property and additional demand for transport and distribution services, as well as greater choice for consumers.

“We believe New Zealand’s next major source of supermarket competition can come from the privately owned operators already in the market. The opportunity now is to give those locally owned businesses the means to grow much faster,” he says.

Source: Palestine Forum of New Zealand

Palestine Forum of New Zealand (PFNZ) is calling on communities across Aotearoa New Zealand to join the Global Day of Action for Palestine on Saturday 10 October, standing alongside people around the world demanding an end to the ongoing devastation of Gaza, the dispossession of Palestinians, military complicity and the failure to enforce international law.

The Global Day of Action brings together communities, organisations and movements around four shared demands:

1. END THE GENOCIDE IN GAZA

   Protect civilians, uphold international humanitarian law, and address Israel’s genocide.

   The killing and suffering of Palestinians cannot be normalised or treated as an unavoidable consequence of conflict. Civilians must be protected, humanitarian obligations upheld, and those responsible for violations of international law held accountable.

2. PROTECT PALESTINIAN LAND

   End land seizures, settlement expansion, settler violence and forced displacement.

   The dispossession of Palestinians is not confined to Gaza. Across the occupied Palestinian territory, including the West Bank and East Jerusalem, Palestinians continue to face land seizures, settlement expansion, settler violence and displacement. These practices must end.

3. END MILITARY SUPPLY LINES

   Examine and halt transfers and relationships contributing to military operations and violations.

   Governments must examine their military, technological, financial and institutional relationships and ensure that no support, equipment, transfers or cooperation contributes to violations of international humanitarian law or human rights.

4. ENFORCE INTERNATIONAL LAW WITHOUT EXCEPTION

   Reject political selectivity and ensure universal accountability for alleged war crimes and violations.

   International law cannot be applied selectively according to political alliances. The same standards must apply to all states and all alleged violations. Accountability must be universal, independent and free from political double standards.

Aotearoa New Zealand must act

PFNZ says New Zealand has both an opportunity and a responsibility to demonstrate that its commitment to a rules-based international order applies consistently.

“New Zealand cannot call for international law to be respected while remaining silent or passive when Palestinians are subjected to mass civilian suffering, dispossession and violations of their fundamental rights,” said Maher Nazzal, Chair of the Palestine Forum of New Zealand.

“10 October is an opportunity for people across Aotearoa to make four simple demands clear: end the genocide, protect Palestinian land, end military supply lines that contribute to violations, and enforce international law without exception.”

PFNZ is urging the New Zealand Government and all political parties to move beyond statements of concern and take meaningful action, including examining New Zealand’s relationships and supply chains for any contribution to violations of international law and ensuring that New Zealand’s foreign policy is consistent with its obligations under international law.

“This is not about applying one standard to Israel and another to everyone else. It is about applying the same standard to everyone,” Nazzal said.

“International law either means something for everyone, or it becomes a political instrument applied only when convenient.”

Join the Global Day of Action

PFNZ encourages Palestinians, tangata whenua, community organisations, trade unions, faith communities, human rights advocates and members of the public across Aotearoa New Zealand to participate in events and actions taking place on Saturday 10 October.

The Global Day of Action is a collective call for solidarity, justice and accountability and a reminder that silence and political inaction are not neutral responses to grave violations of human rights and international law.

Four demands. One message: justice for Palestine.

Source: Federated Farmers

Federated Farmers is welcoming National’s announcement of a scheme to help get water storage projects built, saying reliable access to water is vital for farming’s future and New Zealand’s economic success.

Federated Farmers president Colin Hurst says the policy recognises that water storage is critical infrastructure that can help farmers build resilience, grow their businesses and respond to changing land-use opportunities.

“Water storage is such an important strategic enabler of growth for the primary sector, unlocking huge economic opportunities for farmers and rural communities that all New Zealanders will benefit from.

“Reliable access to water gives farmers more options. It can help them increase production, build resilience through dry periods, or shift to higher value land uses when new opportunities emerge,” Hurst says.

“If we’re serious about doubling New Zealand’s export value and unlocking all of the economic benefits that will come with that ambition, access to water is absolutely critical.”

Hurst says getting projects built requires more than good ideas.

“There can be significant hurdles in the early stages of a project, particularly around consenting, construction risk and securing finance.

“That’s why initial Government support to help get projects off the ground early is so important.”

National’s announcement includes $300 million in concessional loans for water storage projects, a long-term national water infrastructure pipeline, and a national water storage register.

Five regions with storage work already underway – Northland, Tairāwhiti, Hawke’s Bay, Wairarapa and Canterbury – will be prioritised.

The policy also includes a National Standard for on-farm and other lower-risk off-stream water storage, as well as a National Standard for Irrigation to make consenting easier for farmers and growers.

Hurst says the measures align closely with Federated Farmers’ 2026 election priorities, including national standards for on-farm water storage and irrigation, greater flexibility for land use, and support to build new water storage projects.

“Farmers are always good at adapting to new opportunities – it’s part of our DNA – but we need the tools and infrastructure to do it,” he says.

“Just like reliable access to fertiliser and other critical inputs matters, so does having reliable access to water.

“These are the foundations that allow farmers to invest, innovate and keep delivering economic benefits for all Kiwis – funding roads, schools, police and hospitals.”

Hurst says better water storage isn’t just good for farmers, but also for rural towns, the wider economy, and the environment.

“Having our rural towns running out of water is a really big issue, and building more water storage will alleviate that.

“It’s also good for the environment because we’ll end up storing water in times of plenty for when water is short, which evens the flow of rivers.

“If you’re sucking water out of the river, the levels get low, and then there can be environmental impacts. Having secure water storage prevents that.”

Federated Farmers water storage spokesperson Richard Dawkins says the concessional loan component addresses a specific problem Federated Farmers has repeatedly raised with the Government.

“Projects often get stuck in that awkward period where a bank is hardly going to lend tens of millions while consent and construction risk is still hanging over them,” Dawkins says.

“There’s real value in the Government helping bridge that gap, and it is directly aligned with what we’ve been asking for.

“The national pipeline, storage register and standards are useful too because they get us closer to treating water storage as a strategic national infrastructure issue, rather than making every community start from scratch.”

Dawkins says water storage can deliver significant benefits beyond individual farms – and that access to reliable water is critical if we want to grow our economy.

“A new irrigation scheme can add hundreds of millions of dollars to the local economy of small rural communities, grow exports, and support families.

“We’ve seen that in Canterbury, where the Central Plains irrigation scheme generated $400 million for Canterbury’s GDP in 2025 and supports more than 2,200 full-time jobs.

“That’s good for everyone and it matters even more in times like now, when Kiwi families are struggling to put food on the table and fuel in their cars.

“New Zealand is never going to be able to tax our way into prosperity, but we might be able to farm our way there. A growing economy means more jobs and higher incomes.”

Dawkins says there’s still work to do to make projects investment-ready and get more schemes moving, but the Government’s announcement is a significant step forward.

“Once up and running, many water storage schemes can be largely funded by water users, but there are major risks and costs in getting projects through the early development stages.

“Today’s announcement responds to a genuine need from the farming sector and is a great step towards getting more projects built.”

Source: SAFE For Animals

With voters preparing to head to the polls next month, animal rights organisation SAFE has launched its 2026 election scorecard, revealing some stark differences between political parties on some of the country’s most pressing animal welfare issues.

SAFE’s scorecard compares parties’ responses across eleven questions, covering issues from factory farming, farrowing crates, caged hens, intensive winter grazing, live animal export, rodeo, food-system reform and independent animal welfare oversight.

SAFE’s Head of Campaigns Jessica Chambers says the scorecard is intended to help voters make informed decisions about where parties stand on animal issues.

“The next government will make decisions that affect the lives of millions of animals. This scorecard gives voters a clear picture of where parties stand on issues directly impacting animals.”

SAFE says its scorecard makes it easy for voters to compare which parties are prepared to strengthen protections for animals, and which would maintain the status quo. It also provides an opportunity for voters to engage with parties directly, raise concerns about animal welfare policies, and encourage stronger commitments for animals.

“Animals aren’t able to vote, but voters can make their interests count” says Chambers.

Following significant setbacks on animal welfare including preventing the ban on farrowing crates from taking effect and an attempted reversal of the live animal export ban, SAFE says the general election gives voters a chance to have their say on what the future looks like for animals.

“We encourage New Zealanders to explore the scorecard, see where political parties stand, and let parties know if they expect stronger action for animals. Positions can change, and elections provide an important opportunity for voters to influence the policies they want to see.”

“This scorecard is about transparency. We want voters to be informed, have conversations with candidates and parties, and make it clear that animal protection matters when they head to the polls.”

SAFE is Aotearoa’s leading animal rights organisation.

We’re creating a future that ensures the rights of animals are respected. Our core work empowers society to make kinder choices for ourselves, animals and our planet.

Notes

Location of scorecard on SAFE’s website: https://safe.org.nz/news/putting-animals-on-the-agenda-the-2026-election-scorecard/