A cheaper bus or train fare would be far better than working from home to avoid rising fuel prices, say commuters, despite the local government minister ruling it out.

Simon Watts says the government is not looking at any change or incentive model in regards to public transport.

“Public transport usage by New Zealanders has already increased, we’ve seen that flow through in our major urban cities,” he said.

“That’s obviously a result of Kiwis making the conscious decision to take public transport versus driving their vehicle and that’s what you’d expect with prices at the pump being higher.”

He said it should be up to New Zealanders to make their own decisions, based on their own circumstances.

But petrol has sky-rocketed by more than 83 cents a litre and diesel has shot up $1.33 since the US and Israel began attacking Iran.

Auckland Transport, Greater Wellington, and Canterbury Regional Councils are asking the government to encourage people to use more buses, trains, and ferries – rather than work from home.

People RNZ spoke to in central Auckland on Monday said they would prefer that.

“I do like working from home but working in the office is also really nice, it’s more collaborative,” said one commuter.

“I would prefer to have cheaper public transport,” said another.

Shay Peters from Robert Walters Recruitment Agency said a lot of jobseekers preferred to work from home.

“As we’re in tougher economic times, people are probably erring on the side of caution and will like to be in the office but I know a number would also like the opportunity on balance to be able to just save cash and be working from home at the moment.”

Last Tuesday was Auckland’s busiest day on public transport since 2019, and the capital has seen 10 percent more passengers on the train – and six percent on the bus – within the past month.

Greater Wellington Regional Council Public Transport Committee chair Ros Connelly would also like to see subsidised fares.

“There’s no doubt in my mind and from the surveys and customer feedback that we receive that the cost of public transport still is a significant barrier to people. Obviously since we’ve seen the fuel crisis, comparatively the cost of public transport has decreased but still it is extremely expensive.”

She said the train from Masterton to Wellington can cost up to $22.50 each way, per day.

“That is a barrier for many people and so they will look at other options. Working from home is definitely popular but if there was an increased subsidy we’re really confident that we would see more people on public transport and as fuel prices increase this is one way that the government can ensure that people get to work.”

Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick said it was a no-brainer to make public transport free.

“Fares have gone up by as much as a third in Canterbury, by a quarter in the Manawatū-Whanganui region and Auckland also has seen fare increases in the realm of 15 to 20 percent over the last three years. We need to remove those barriers to access and also be reserving fuel supply for those who actually need it and don’t currently have the option.”

Stacey van der Putten from Auckland Transport would welcome that.

“We’re monitoring it daily so there will be adjustments that are needed but the system does have flex to be able to support it.”

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The finance minister will reveal “targeted and temporary” support for hard-hit families on Tuesday, as fuel costs continue to rise.

Nicola Willis gave notice of the announcement at Monday’s post-Cabinet media briefing, alongside Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Associate Energy Minister Shane Jones.

Jones also announced plans to align New Zealand’s fuel standards with that of Australia, allowing the import of fuel destined for Australia to New Zealand instead.

Willis said the decisions on support had been taken at Cabinet, and while some of the details were still being worked out, that would not affect how quickly families could get it.

“This conflict is impacting just about every New Zealander, it has pushed up the price of petrol, diesel and jet fuel and those increases are already hurting our people and our businesses. Unfortunately the government is not in a position to mitigate that impact on everyone,” she said.

“The approach we are taking is consistent with the findings of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the response to the Covid pandemic, which highlighted the damage that can be done by untimely, untemporary and untargeted spending.”

It was unclear when the support would be rolled out, with Willis saying that would be made clear when it was announced.

Motorists should fuel up as and when they needed to, she said, with the government’s solution set to target income rather than fuel prices.

‘No concerns’ about fuel supply

For now, there were no concerns about fuel supplies in New Zealand, she said.

“To date, all shipments have arrived as scheduled and fuel importers have not raised any concerns about shipments that are due here in future.

“It remains the case that we have to be prepared for the possibility of disruptions in the medium to longer term, particularly because the refineries in Southeast Asia from which we import more than 90 percent of our fuel may have challenges getting the feedstock crude oil that they need.”

Luxon said the country had at least enough fuel for the next seven weeks, although the government was preparing in case of long-term further disruption.

“If you are someone who has just faced a 30 percent increase in your fuel bill or a 60 percent increase in your diesel bill since the actual crisis, since this conflict has commenced, it’s real.

“We cannot do the Covid learnings and mistakes, which was just spray a heap of money around that has short term gain but long term pain – massive long-term pain – and equally we’ve got to find a way to get people support in a temporary, targeted kind of way.

“The reality is that we are not going to be able to alleviate the pressure of rising prices for everyone, but what we’ve been clear about are the parameters for any support that we provide, which is that it must be targeted, it must be timely, and it must be temporary and not drive inflation or debt higher.”

The latest data from Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment showed stocks for about 47 days of fuel, including about 50 days worth of petrol, 46 days of diesel, and 45 of jet fuel.

The data, accurate to last Wednesday, marks about two days fewer than was reported last week.

One new fuel shipment arrived on Sunday, and two more – carrying between them another 20 days of each kind of fuel – are expected to arrive in the next fortnight.

The next update is due on Wednesday, but the ministry says New Zealand is not yet experiencing the kind of sustained disruption that would justify emergency measures under the national fuel plan.

Luxon said nothing had changed about New Zealand’s position on the Iran conflict, but that Iranians “holding hostage a whole bunch of ships to bring fuel and critical supplies … that’s not acceptable”.

“What we want to see is a quick resolution to this conflict and that means that actually respecting civilians and civilian infrastructure is really important … we think the best thing is de-escalation.”

Willis confirmed some consideration had been given to which industries could be prioritised if fuel rationing was needed, but this would not be revealed until a later date.

“We will not be having to hit the button tomorrow, but we will outline what our proposed phasing of response is … we recognise that it’s useful for people to understand what could be coming under a range of scenarios,” she said.

She noted the high prices would also naturally limit fuel use.

“It is pinching people’s pockets already and that is changing people’s choices. So Auckland transport have reported they had their biggest day of public transport use in seven years, I think that’s people deciding to use their cars a little bit less because it’s pretty expensive right now.”

‘Anzac pact’ in fuel and other standards

Jones outlined the government’s plan to temporarily allow fuel that meets Australian specifications to be supplied to the New Zealand market for up to a year.

Fuel companies had said this could allow them to secure shipments more quickly, and from a wider pool of suppliers.

Jones said long-range vessels typically carried about 120 million litres, and New Zealand consumed about 24 million litres of fuel a day – with about 47 percent of that being diesel, about 35 percent being petrol, and the remainder being aviation fuel.

“Should such a vessel be on its way to Australia then we would have the ability to also benefit from such a vessel.”

He said fuel refined to Australian standards was compatible with New Zealand vehicles, and met safety and quality expectations, pushing back on the suggestion it would allow dirtier fuels than under current standards.

“It’s unkind of us to refer to our Aussie compatriots as dirty,” he said. “There’s two things – whether or not fuel used in a high-temperature northern Australian environment, we are advised that a lot of that fuel is suitable for the North Island … with the South Island the fuel importers assure us that they will have the optionality to service both of those markets.”

He said officials had spoken to Australian counterparts.

“We pushed the idea that at some point in time we should explore and ANZAC pact and I would say to you this is the first step that we’re taking to join forces.

“It’d be fair to say that I’ve got a fair degree of support in our Cabinet to actually move towards permanent harmonisation of not only these standards but a variety of other standards in the economy.”

Willis and the associate ministers of finance would make further improvements, he said.

The government would not follow Australia’s lead in relaxing standards to allow higher-sulphur fuel, he said, at least not yet.

“At this stage it’s not our intention to do so, however, we will take advice should the situation change – and that could be an option that expands our supply.

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

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says the government will reveal in the next few weeks how it will support New Zealanders struggling with skyrocketing fuel prices.

He says the country has healthy fuel stocks, and the government’s doing everything it can to secure them.

Oil prices have risen as the fall out continues from the Middle East crisis; Brent Crude oil rose about US$1 to be just above US$113 a barrel in early Asia trade.

It comes after US President Donald Trump vowed to ‘obliterate’ Iran energy facilities if it doesn’t open Strait of Hormuz.

Meanwhile, Auckland Transport is calling for the government to encourage more people to use public transport.

Follow what happened today in our liveblog below:

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

Last year was among the hottest on record, as the world’s “addiction” to fossil fuels continues to drive global warming, new data shows.

The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) confirmed the average global temperature last year was 1.43°C warmer than the 1850-1900 pre-industrial average.

2024 remains the hottest year on record, but 2025 was the second- or third-hottest, across the nine major global datasets.

The organisation said the global climate was more out of balance than at any other time in observed history, as greenhouse gas concentrations reached their highest levels in at least 800,000 years.

Most of the trapped heat was stored in the ocean, which is warming at an accelerating pace.

Together with melting sea ice and glaciers, that was driving global sea level rise – which projections from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change show will continue for centuries.

Arctic sea-ice hit a record low in some satellite datasets last year.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the planet was being pushed beyond its limits.

“Every key climate indicator is flashing red.”

Current major conflicts were exposing another truth, Guterres said.

“Our addiction to fossil fuels is destabilising both the climate and global security.”

Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, after the country was attacked by Israel and the US, has spiked oil and gas prices and prompted fears of global inflation.

The WMO’s State of the Climate report said increasingly severe weather, driven by climate change, was already affecting agricultural production and displacing people from their homes.

“The cascading and compounding impacts of multiple, sequential disasters severely limit the ability of communities to prepare for, recover from and adapt to shocks,” the report said.

That was especially true in places that were already experiencing conflict or other types of insecurity.

In New Zealand, inflation-adjusted data published by the Insurance Council showed that since 2019, insurance companies had paid out nearly $6 billion for extreme weather-related events in New Zealand.

That did not include pay-outs for severe weather at the beginning of this year, which killed six people in a landslide at Mount Maunganui, cut off entire communities, and closed major roads.

Victoria University professor of climate science James Renwick said the science of climate change had been understood for a century or more now.

“We know what we have to do to stop it,” he said. “Stop burning fossil fuels.”

Policymakers had been given that message for decades but emissions just kept increasing, he said.

He hoped the latest report “moves the dial”.

“The costs of inaction are already astronomical, let’s not make them overwhelming.”

Last week, the High Court in Wellington heard a case taken by two environmental NGOs against the government over its emissions reductions plans, which the organisations argued were risky and unlawful.

The Environmental Law Initiative and Lawyers for Climate Action told the court that the government broke the law when it dismantled dozens of climate policies soon after the election, before it had consulted the public.

The current plan relied overwhelmingly on offsetting emissions by planting forestry, rather than tackling emissions at their sources, the organisations said.

The court has reserved its decision.

Similar cases in the UK succeeded in forcing the government there to re-write its own emissions plans.

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

Explainer – With the Iran war leaving supply chains choked off, pain at the pump is rising, but you still need to drive. How can you get the most out of your tank? Here’s some options.

The price of 91 petrol has now heading towards $4 a litre in some parts of the country, the government is mulling weighing in and some have begun to hoard petrol ahead of possible shortages.

Feeling uncertain? Get used to it, for now.

“Nobody has a clue about future petrol, diesel and aviation fuel supplies and their costs,” Massey University Emeritus Professor in Climate Mitigation and Sustainable Energy Ralph Sims said.

There are plenty of other options – public transport, biking or walking if you can, pivoting to electric vehicles – but not everyone can easily take up those alternatives.

If you’re looking to ‘fuelmaxx’ your efficiency, here is more of what experts suggest:

Combine your errands

NZTA estimates that short trips use 20 percent more fuel when your engine is cold.

So if you can manage to tie together things like school runs with the grocery shop and a run to the chemist, you can save your overall petrol consumption, AA fuel spokesperson and former general manager of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority Terry Collins told RNZ’s Afternoons.

“Do it all in one trip when the car’s warm – save the fuel, tick off all those little jobs, instead of making them independent trips every time.”

Steady on the acceleration, mate

Sims said that the majority of drivers can save up to 20 percent of fuel use with a few simple changes.

“Most people don’t understand how to drive a car efficiently,” he told RNZ recently.

“I see people accelerate to a red light and then brake heavily, and if you’re running on low tyre pressures, it consumes much more fuel.”

Collins said a lot of it boils down to how you’re driving.

“When we hop in a car what we really want is momentum – movement. So what we do is we use the fuel to gather momentum, but I see every day people wasting that momentum by braking unnecessarily.

“They’re not anticipating the traffic in rush hour, so they’re driving up behind the next car and putting the brakes on. If they could look ahead a number of cars and see that everybody already had their brakes on, they could just drift up behind the other car very slowly and brake.

“Every time you put your foot on the brake, you have lost that momentum for the fuel that you’ve paid for. So think that every time I put my foot on the brake, I’m spending money.”

It’s worth watching your speed on highways, too – Sims said that typically a car at 110km/h uses 10 percent more fuel per kilometre than when travelling at 90 km/h due to greater air friction.

Once upon a time, manual or stick shifts were typically more fuel efficient than automatic transmission vehicles, but thanks to improved technology that’s changing and modern automatics are often as good or slightly better than manuals.

The more you carry, the more you use

Carrying heavy loads will obviously slow your car down, but there are also smaller drags to be aware of.

Modern cars are carefully designed and put through wind tunnels to get the most aerodynamic shape possible, Collins said.

Even leaving roof racks on your car that you never use can add to the drag.

“The moment you put those roof racks on you’re disturbing all that air flow.

“People think ah, they’re OK, but you’d be surprised how much that aerodynamic change affects your fuel consumption.”

Keep up your maintenance

Don’t just think about car services as a way to get your next Warrant of Fitness ticked off. Regular care for your vehicle’s systems can save you money in the long run.

“One of the things we often overlook is just the simple thing of checking your tyres,” Collins said.

Under-inflated tyres can add 10 to 12 percent to your fuel bill, he said.

“You’re just adding drag. … It’s working harder to get that momentum I was talking about earlier.”

Your tyre’s correct pressure should be listed on the vehicle label inside the door or in the handbook. It’s best to check the pressure when the tyres are cold to see how yours are looking.

A dirty air filter or fuel filter can also compromise your efficiency, while old and worn spark plugs may mean you’re not getting enough ignition.

“Just that simple servicing on a regular basis to make sure those jobs are done are going to save you in the vicinity of 10 to 20 percent of your fuel bill,” Collins said.

To A/C, or not to A/C?

This is one of the great existential questions of driving – is it better to wind down your windows or pump up the air con? Studies have had conflicting results and ultimately it’s better to be flexible.

“While it’s more fuel efficient to have it on at 100km/h than it is to have the windows down creating drag, the air con can use around 10 percent more fuel,” the AA’s website states. “You may need to find that balance of comfort and economy.”

A lot may depend on how old your car is and how well maintained the engine and air con systems are.

It’s best to mix and match if you can – windows down and air con off when you’re at town speeds and windows up and air con on if you’re on the motorway.

In general any other unnecessary widgets on your car may also be creating a drag – such as leaving your rear window defroster on long after it’s done the job, or those heated seats when there’s no need to.

Use the technology if you’ve got it

Many newer vehicles are equipped with Auto Stop-Start systems which automatically shut off the engine when a vehicle is in congestion or at traffic lights. As soon as you take your foot off the brake, the engine restarts without delay, Ford NZ explains on its website.

“Your climate control fan, audio system, and headlamps still work while your engine is off for your comfort,” Ford noted.

Collins said some people turn off these features on their vehicles, but it’s counterproductive if you want to save money.

“Some people find that annoying – it’s there for a reason. It’s because those cars have to meet energy efficiency standards. … So every time you turn (that feature) off, you’re actually defeating the purpose of saving fuel.”

Collins said he often commutes over a hill, and said there’s many tricks you can use to avoid consuming excess fuel. Gravity can help to be your brake when going up a hill, and going down, other methods can help keep your foot off the accelerator – such as using those other driving modes you may often ignore on the gear shift.

“I have an automatic but I put it in sports mode, which holds it in gear longer. That acts as an engine brake, so I don’t really need to brake on a lot of the corners. I just go through them smoothly, not touching, and my fuel consumption’s on zero.”

And if you can, avoid rush hour

Sitting idling in traffic will waste significant fuel, so – if your job allows it – consider off-peak travel to avoid those long queues, or working from home certain days a week if your employer permits.

Sims said that many of these steps are easy, but changing habits is harder.

“It’s all pretty basic and the science is well understood for cars, trucks, and buses. But to change human behaviour is always the challenge.”

He called for the government to step up fuel conservation messaging.

“What the government needs to do urgently is to run a national education campaign (similar to what was accomplished during Covid times using all media opportunities) to inform drivers how they can save both fuel and money.”

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Date: Saturday 21 March 2026 – “The people of New Zealand continue to await political leadership from Christopher Luxon regarding the US and Israel’s illegal and aggressive
war on Iran. Instead, today he has issued a statement condemning Iran because it will cost us more for oil. It is frankly astonishing that he blames Iran for defending itself while being on the receiving end of US and Israeli bombs and missiles,” said Valerie Morse of Peace Action Wellington.

“The Israelis just bombed the Iranian Pars gas field – the single largest natural gas field in the world. Last week, the US bombed Tehran’s oil refinery, resulting in black smoke choking the city and acid rain falling. Where was Luxon’s condemnation of those actions?”

“To assign blame to the Iranians for hitting oil and gas infrastructure and shutting down the Straits of Hormuz while steadfastly ignoring those who are entirely responsible for this horror – the US and Israel – requires a complete inversion of reality and complete abandonment of any political principles.”

“That Luxon and his Coalition partners are craven lackeys of the United States and Israel comes as little surprise to those of us on the front lines of the pro-Palestine movement. We have watched for two years while Luxon and his coalition mates have been complicit supporters of the most grotesque genocide of 70,000 people.”

“This war will not end anytime soon unless Trump decides to pull the US out, which is the only sensible course of action. He and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu have seriously underestimated the Iranian government. Instead what we are likely to see is a widening of this war with much more death and destruction.”

“The pain New Zealanders will feel at the petrol pump is the fault of the US and Israel. Luxon would do well to align his statements with the facts, not the fantasies of the criminal leaders of rogue states.”

MIL OSI

MIL OSI

Analysis: Christopher Luxon’s personal performance and that of his party is worse, and more people think the country is headed in the wrong direction under his government.

Those are the bleak messages being sent by voters in the latest RNZ-Reid Research poll.

The poll has National on just 30.8 – only just scraping above the death knell threshold of anything with a 2 at the start of it.

For Luxon personally his preferred prime minister score is 17.3 – down from 19.4 in RNZ’s last poll in January.

While there’s been speculation in recent weeks off the back of another bad poll that Luxon’s time as leader could be running out, the RNZ-Reid Research poll doesn’t point to any obvious successors.

Housing Minister Chris Bishop only reached 0.6 percent – down from 1.3, while often tipped future leader and Education Minister Erica Stanford registered 1.4 percent, up slightly from 1.2 at the last poll. Not exactly threatening results.

For Luxon, however, it’s his net favourability – the difference between those who think he’s doing well and those who rate his performance badly – where things really take a dive.

The Prime Minister has a net favourability score of -20.6, even worse than the dismal result he got in the last poll of -14.

If it’s the economy that Luxon will turn to for a brighter outlook, it’s only bad news there too.

Half of respondents – 50 percent – now think the country is headed in the wrong direction under this coalition government, while just 32.3 think it’s headed the right way.

Compare that with January when 46.6 percent picked wrong direction versus 36.3 that picked right and it’s another public sentiment tracking the opposite way to what Luxon and his team would like.

It’s worth noting 72.6 percent of National voters felt the country was headed the right way but a much smaller number for Act – just 57.5 percent – and an even worse showing for New Zealand First – only 26.6 percent – paints a story of coalition supporters also feeling gloomy.

While the net figure for wrong and right direction has been dropping since the first RNZ-Reid Research poll in March 2025, it did lift slightly in the last poll in January, only to plunge to an even lower score this time round.

The grim warnings are hot on the back of another poll that had National on 28 percent.

The Taxpayers’ Union Curia poll that was published on March 6 was a catalyst for questions over Luxon’s leadership and speculation that grew so fevered he had to go on air at the last minute for an unscheduled interview to dampen it down.

On RNZ-Reid Research’s poll numbers Labour, New Zealand First and the Greens had a slight improvement on their party vote while everyone else suffered drops.

Labour has the biggest share with 35.6, while New Zealand First is on 10.6, the Greens 10.1, Act 7 and Te Pati Maori 3.2.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins was also down in his preferred prime minister rating, on 20.7, while his net favourability was comfortably ahead of Luxon’s on +0.3.

While this poll covers the period in which Hipkins was in the media denying a number of allegations made by his ex-wife, which she had posted to social media, at least half of those polled had already been counted before that story broke.

If this poll result played out on election night, both the centre-right and the centre-left blocs would get 60 seats – not enough to form a government, leaving a hung parliament.

It’s been a tough month for New Zealanders already suffering a years-long cost of living crisis, with spiking prices at the pump, at the supermarket, and on other services like flights.

The ongoing war in Iran and no end-date in sight has people feeling nervous about the months ahead.

Winter is also looming, when Kiwis inevitably feel the pressure of sky-rocketing power prices.

It’s a less than rosy outlook and what this poll suggests is that National is wearing a lot of the responsibility for that and people aren’t enamored with Luxon.

Unpopular prime ministers have won elections before and it’s still seven months out from polling day, but the runway for turning the economy around is growing shorter by the week.

The problem with campaigning on getting the country back on track, as National did in 2023, is that sometimes situations well outside of its control can have an overwhelming impact on whether that’s achieved or not.

Rather than quietly cursing the policy-light Opposition at home, it’s political friends (perhaps turned foes) abroad who are causing Luxon the most grief.

*The RNZ-Reid Research poll covered the period of the 12th to the 20th of March and interviewed 1000 respondents online. It has a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percent.

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

US President Donald Trump has vowed to ‘obliterate’ Iran energy facilities if it doesn’t’ open the Strait of Hormuz.

The threat has added to worries in global markets.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Nicola Willis said on Sunday New Zealand’s fuels stocks remain at seven weeks’ worth, including stockpiles.

Fuel price app Gaspy has altered features in an attempt to avoid errors and deliberate misinformation about current prices of petrol.

And the government has announced a $50 million plan to double electric EV chargers in New Zealand.

Follow all the updates in our live blog at the top of this page.

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

Fonterra’s first half result is expected to deliver to expectations, but with a murky outlook as the war in Iran threatens global supply chains, along with rising energy and other costs.

Generate KiwiSaver investment specialist Greg Smith said strong demand for dairy products as well as the low value of the New Zealand dollar would help Fonterra through the ongoing volatility, though there could be some disruption to its cheese exports to places such as the United Arab Emirates, as an example.

“So there are some impacts there, and product that potentially will need to be re-routed,” Smith said.

The market consensus for the six months ended January was for revenue in the order of $11 billion, with an underlying profit of $976 million and a normalised net profit of $445m.

The first half dividend was expected to be about 21 cents per share, in addition to a special Mainland dividend in a range of 14-to-18 cps, following the completion of the sale of Fonterra’s Mainland Group of global consumer and associated business to Lactalis for $4.22b.

Where is the growth coming from?

The company was forecasting growth in its ingredients and food services business to fill any gap left by the sale of the consumer business by the year ending July 2028.

“Unlike other company results, I think the focus this time in particular (will be) less on the numbers… and I think that’s principally reflecting the strategic reset that’s underway,” Forsyth Barr senior equities analyst Matt Montgomerie said.

Two key focuses will be on where Fonterra’s debt levels, following the divestment and how the ingredients and food services businesses were planning to fill the earnings gap left by the sale of the consumer businesses.

Forecasts

• FY26 forecast earnings guidance from continuing operations at between 45 and 65 cents per share.
• Current season forecast Farmgate Milk Price midpoint $9.50 per kgMS – range of $9.20-$9.80 per kgMS.
• Target to close Mainland underlying earnings gap of $300m – FY28 to match FY25.

“Delivery and execution and messaging around that target is the key for the next few years,” Montgomerie said.

Who will lead Fonterra?

Fonterra chief executive Miles Hurrell resigned this month following a 25-year career with Fonterra, including eight years as chief executive after the resignation of the late Theo Spierings in 2019, who failed to connect with farmer-shareholders and left the company in a poor financial position, with high debt levels to deal with.

Montgomerie said farmers will want to see someone who operates in a similar mode to Hurrell, who was able to relate to farmers on a day-to-day business and deliver on the turnaround strategy.

“The farmers are looking for consistency and continuity. Obviously, change can bring about new perspectives, but I would be surprised if there are any notable changes in strategic direction with the new CEO,” he said.

“It feels like there’s a strong desire to provide sort of an opportunity for someone internally to continue the strategic direction of the business. But I think the key thing is that reliability and trust from a farmer point of view, but then also Fonterra’s customers all around the world.”

Smith said the next chief executive will have “big gum boots to fill”.

“I’m sure there’ll be a swathe of high quality internal candidates put forward but also no doubt there’ll be a global benchmark process,” he said.

“I don’t really think there’ll be a significant change in strategy, given all the effort that has gone into refocusing and simplifying the business.”

The bigger picture?

Smith said the sale of the Mainland business will give the New Zealand economy a much needed boost.

“The Mainland sale is going to inject potentially around $3 billion, if not more into the Kiwi economy,” Smith said.

“So that’s a positive story for the second half of the year, economically.”

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

Tom Walsh has retained his World Indoor shot put title to become the all-time record holder in the event.

Walsh kept his best until last, overtaking American Jordan Geist with his fifth effort and then extending that lead with his final throw of 21.82 metres to collect his fourth indoor gold.

He has now won seven indoor medals, a men’s record.

His winning throw of 21.82m was a season’s best.

No other man has won this title more than three times.

Walsh has now equalled Dame Valerie Adams total in indoor gold medals, the two global shot put greats stand alone in their career dominance of the indoor championship arena.

Walsh has previously won gold in 2016, ’18 and ’25, silver in ’24 and bronze in ’14 and ’22.

The 34 year old is also a former world champion (outdoor), winning the title in 2017.

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

Responsible investment platform Mindful Money warns that KiwiSaver investors are increasingly exposed to human rights abuses – but one KiwiSaver manager says the list of companies to avoid is becoming too long to be realistic.

Over the past six months, Mindful Money said investments in companies with exposure to human rights abuses rose 43 percent, reaching more than $3.5 billion. This has been fuelled by both an increase in the number of companies identified as violating human rights and increased investment in those companies.

It said public surveys consistently showed that avoiding human rights abuses was the No.1 concern for KiwiSaver members.

“These findings highlight a growing gap between what New Zealanders want from their investments in terms of human rights and where their money is actually going,” said Mindful Money founder Barry Coates.

In recent years, attention has increasingly focused on the activities of major technology companies, particularly around surveillance, social media harms and their use in conflict situations, he said. Companies identified as raising human rights concerns included Meta, Tesla, Thermo Fisher Scientific and Palantir Technologies.

“KiwiSaver providers need stronger policies to screen out companies linked to serious human rights harms,” Coates said. “New Zealanders deserve confidence that their retirement savings are not contributing to exploitation or conflict.”

Concerns have also grown over investments in companies linked to the conflict in Gaza, the West Bank and Ukraine. KiwiSaver investments in companies providing weapons, surveillance technology or other support linked to these conflicts increased 14 percent between March and September 2025, reaching $856 million.

Companies receiving increased investment during this period included IBM, Booking Holdings, Palantir Technologies, Motorola Solutions and Caterpillar, but Koura founder Rupert Carlyon said the bar was too high.

“We look at a company like Caterpillar, which is on their list of human rights issues, because they supply machinery into Israel.

“It’s also a company that does a huge amount of good in other parts of the world – it’s extremely hard to measure.”

He said clients were most concerned about returns and fees.

“My very strong view is actually, if you really want to make a difference, then you’re going to make much more of an impact, if you don’t support them as a customer than as an investor.

“Airbnb… you’re going to stop investing in Airbnb, because you think there are human rights issues? Does that mean that, you know what, we’re never going to use Airbnb ever again?”

Pathfinder Asset Management founder John Berry said his KiwiSaver funds avoided those companies.

“Based on the approach taken by Mindful Money, they are taking a values-based approach to human rights and other issues, and I think it’s entirely appropriate,” he said. “They disclose their methodology and the approach they’re taking, and they give the managers the opportunity to respond.

“I think that’s a really well-developed and well-thought-out approach.

“I think it’s good that there’s a range of options for, you know, some fund managers may focus primarily on just making money. Other fund managers, like Pathfinder, focus on putting a values-based lens, really strong values-based lens over our investing.”

He said individuals and fund managers should make their own decisions about what they were comfortable with.

“I think the starting point with thinking about human rights, and thinking about it from a fund-manager perspective and an investor perspective, is to think about what is your mission with investing.

“There are two sides to it. One is you can consider human rights from a values-based perspective, that you care for people, planet, animals and you want to sleep at night with your investments.

“The other side is you believe that companies that comply with human rights will deliver better long-term returns, because they will be trusted, they’re good corporate citizens and they will have stronger reputations, so they’ll be financially better.

“I actually believe both those things are true.”

Coates said avoiding problematic companies would likely be more effective than trying to change them.

“These are major global corporations and New Zealand investors have only a small share of their capital,” Coates said. “It is unlikely that fund managers sending letters or voting a few shares will change their practices.

“If companies are linked to human rights violations, fund providers should respect the wishes of their clients and avoid investing in them.”

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

SHIYAN, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 22 March 2026 – On March 21, the world’s first “International Taijiquan Day,” jointly organized by the Wushu Sports Administration Center of the General Administration of Sport of China, the Chinese Wushu Association, the Hubei Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, the Hubei Provincial Sports Bureau, and the Shiyan Municipal People’s Government, officially opened. As one of China’s four main venues, Shiyan staged a themed performance at Wudang Mountain under the banner “Wudang of the World; Taiji for Humanity,” and simultaneously launched the “Hundreds of Countries, Thousands of Cities, Ten Thousand Events” Cloud Taiji global flash mob, inviting Taijiquan enthusiasts worldwide to perform Taiji together and witness this historic moment.

At 9:00 a.m., nearly a thousand guests, inheritors and Taiji culture enthusiasts from across China and abroad gathered at the foot of Wudang Mountain. Landmark sites around the world—Times Square in New York, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Sydney Opera House, the Egyptian Pyramids, and others—joined via video link to “dance the charm of Taiji” in unison. Taijiquan practitioners of all ages, genders and ethnicities synchronized to lift the creatively conceived global flash mob “Hundreds of Countries, Thousands of Cities, Ten Thousand Events.” Correspondingly, Yuzhen Palace—covering nearly 60,000 square meters—was transformed into a sea of Taiji: 1,000 practitioners dressed in white performed the nine postures of Wudang Taijiquan together, creating an unprecedented global relay of Taiji culture and a crossocean cultural resonance, vividly illustrating the profound meaning of ” civilizations have become richer and more colorful with exchanges and mutual learning.”

That day also saw the global release of the “Meet Wudang; Practice Taiji” Wudang Taiji Nine Postures tutorial video, with live demonstration by Yang Qunli—Chinese wushu 9thgrade, creator of the Wudang Taiji Nine Postures, and representative inheritor of the provincial intangible cultural heritage Wudang martial arts project. The Taiji cultural performances included a grand thousandperson Taiji exhibition, the combined songandmartial performance “Taiji of the World Meets Wudang,” the martialrooted “Quest for Wudang,” a Wudang Taiji costume show and global release of design results, and the strongly traditional “Ode to Wudang Taiji,” together offering the world a splendid Taiji cultural feast.
On November 5, 2025, the UNESCO General Conference designated March 21 as “International Taijiquan Day.” This is the first UNESCO international day named for a martial art, marking Taijiquan—an invaluable part of Chinese traditional culture—as formally recognized global shared cultural heritage.

Wudang Mountain is an important birthplace of Taiji culture. Today, Wudang has established 57 martial arts promotion centers domestically and internationally, attracting over 3 million Taijiquan practitioners from more than 150 countries and regions as “foreign disciples,” and helping promote Taijiquan practice to over 500 million people worldwide. Every year tens of thousands of international visitors come to Wudang to study, practice martial arts and pursue health. Shiyan has successively hosted large events including the International Wudang Taiji Culture Festival, the Wudang Taiji International Fellowship Competition, the World Taijiquan Health Conference, and the World Traditional Wushu Festival.

In recent years, Shiyan has leveraged Wudang Taiji cultural heritage to accelerate breakthroughs in Hubei tourism and Wudang development, extend industrial chains, and vigorously develop industries such as pilgrimage tourism and ecological wellness. The city is building globally influential tourism products and internationally aligned tourism environments, forging “Wudang of the World, Taiji for Humanity” into an important emblem of Chinese traditional culture in external exchanges. At the same time, Shiyan is actively promoting public Taijiquan classes into communities, schools, government agencies and enterprises so that this thousandyearold martial art “enters ordinary households.”

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

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

Public transport is experiencing a boom, with commuters flooding onboard while fuel costs soar, and passenger numbers set to tumble.

Last week 91 octane petrol had risen 55 cents a litre since the beginning of the Iran war, with diesel up 90 cents in the same time, hitting personal and commercial budgets amid an existing cost-of-living crunch. And a string of commuters in the main centres told RNZ they were turning to public transport to help cut costs.

• $4 a litre 91 petrol is coming, but take care with data showing it’s here in main centres

Passengers numbers have grown for both buses and trains in Wellington, the Greater Wellington Regional council says.

Prior to this year, there had been a six percent decrease in public transport use year-on-year. But now, both the price of fuel and ongoing major traffic disruption from construction on Lower Hutt’s RiverLink project had turned that around.

It means the Wellington Region is expected to have its highest day ever for public transport use in the next couple of weeks.

• Watch: Seven weeks worth of fuel stocks in NZ – finance minister says

The steep trajectory of fuel costs meant the cost of driving 15 kilometres in Auckland reached nearly double the cost of taking public transport last week, Auckland Transport said – without parking costs factored in.

And the Auckland public transport uptick has already reached records, with Tuesday the busiest day since 2019, councillor Richard Hills said.

Passenger numbers were seven percent higher than the previous Tuesday, and had 7000 more trips than the previous busiest day.

“It’s great to see more people choosing public transport and trying it out,” Hills said.

Wellington public transport challenges levelling as demand increases

Wellington “has had a hard road for public transport patronage over the last couple of years”, said the regional council’s transport committee chairperson Ros Connolly.

“We’ve had a number of headwinds, you know. We’ve had working from home, we’ve had quite high numbers of unemployment in the Wellington region, and the cost of living has all meant that our public transport numbers haven’t been as high as we would have liked them to be. So year-on-year we’ve had about a 6 percent year-on-year decrease.

But in recent weeks, “that number has absolutely turned around,” she said.

“We’ve definitely seen the impact of higher fuel prices on people’s transport decisions …So unlike Auckland, we haven’t quite topped our highest day since 2019, but we can say we are getting close, and we’re confident that in the next fortnight, if things continue to track the way they have, that we will see Wellington experience that record number.”

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

The finance minister says New Zealand’s fuel stocks remain at seven weeks worth, including stockpiles.

But Nicola Willis concedes that keeping that buffer was still “dependent on ships like this continuing to turn up”.

Speaking on Sunday afternoon at Channel Infrastructure’s Marsden Point Energy Precinct, Willis said she wanted to provide more information to address peoples’ concerns about delays in that supply.

She said New Zealand had a number of places fuel supplies arrive into the country, but Marsden Point is the largest.

Today’s visit comes amid fears of an energy crisis, with the global price of oil skyrocketing in the wake of the US and Israel’s attack on Iran.

Iran’s response has included threatening ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a key channel for the transportation of fuel exports from the Middle East, and strikes on US-friendly neighbours’ energy infrastructure.

Marsden Point is New Zealand’s fuel import terminal, and until 2022 also had an oil refining facility. New Zealand now relies on imported refined fuels, without a facility to refine raw products.

Senior coalition politicians are at odds over whether the facility should have been closed.

Willis told Morning Report on Friday price increases were extremely tough and affecting all New Zealanders, but some were feeling it more than others.

“I can’t solve the pain for everyone. The cost of doing that would potentially involve levels of spending that would drive inflation higher, and certainly would put us in a more fragile position in terms of debt.

“So what we are looking at, is there something very targeted and temporary that we could do to assist those workers in particular who are most acutely impacted by these household budget squeezes?”

IRD and Treasury have been asked to come up with a package that could be implemented with urgency ahead of the Budget.

Willis will talk to the media at 2pm – watch it live here.

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

Finance Minister Nicola Willis on Sunday afternoon will be visiting Channel Infrastructure’s Marsden Point Energy Precinct.

The visit comes amid fears of an energy crisis, with the global price of oil skyrocketing in the wake of the US and Israel’s attack on Iran.

Iran’s response has included threatening ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a key channel for the transportation of fuel exports from the Middle East, and strikes on US-friendly neighbours’ energy infrastructure.

Marsden Point is New Zealand’s fuel import terminal, and until 2022 also had an oil refining facility. New Zealand now relies on imported refined fuels, without a facility to refine raw products.

Senior coalition politicians are at odds over whether the facility should have been closed.

Willis told Morning Report on Friday price increases were extremely tough and affecting all New Zealanders, but some were feeling it more than others.

“I can’t solve the pain for everyone. The cost of doing that would potentially involve levels of spending that would drive inflation higher, and certainly would put us in a more fragile position in terms of debt.

“So what we are looking at, is there something very targeted and temporary that we could do to assist those workers in particular who are most acutely impacted by these household budget squeezes?”

IRD and Treasury have been asked to come up with a package that could be implemented with urgency ahead of the Budget.

Willis will talk to the media at 2pm – watch it live here.

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

Chatham Islands diesel will remain at pre-war prices until mid-April, but pump-prices will soon rise, residents are being warned.

In most parts of New Zealand, diesel has risen to more than $3 per litre since the war on Iran started three weeks ago. But in the Chathams, where diesel is the main source of electricity, it’s still $2.29 a litre.

The Chatham Islands Enterprise Trust owns the archipelago’s infrastructure companies, including providing fuel. Group chief executive Bob Penter says the price of diesel will rise by 15 cents in April. It will then be reviewed again, and another hike is likely in May.

Petrol prices remain the same for now, at $4.50 a litre.

• Isolated communities grappling with rising fuel costs

“We’re really trying to soften the sudden price shocks that perhaps we’re seeing elsewhere in New Zealand, and that’s something that we’re able to do as the enterprise trust because we’re essentially operating as a charitable trust,” Penter said.

“So we’re trying to really modify the impact as much as we can.”

Before the Iran conflict began, the Chatham Islands was the most expensive place to buy petrol. There is capacity to store up to 400,000 litres of fuel on Chatham Island.

“What we’ve seen for our purchase price of diesel that we buy and bring over on the Southern Tiare, the ship that supports the Chathams, is that its risen by $1.15, since the Middle East events have taken place,” Penter said.

“So we’re able to absorb this at the moment, but it’s going to start slowly feeding through to the pump price.”

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

Winston Peters will be making his State of the Nation address in Tauranga on Sunday, purposely timed after the release of the quarterly GDP figures.

It also comes off the back of heavy questioning by the New Zealand First leader about the previous Labour government’s decisions during the Covid-19 pandemic, following the release of the second phase of the royal commission of inquiry.

Peters has been accusing Labour ministers of not passing on critical vaccine information to the public, which Labour strongly denies.

Currently, NZ First is trending upward in the polls. In the latest RNZ Reid Research poll, the party sat at 9.8 percent in the party vote, which would result in 12 seats in parliament – four more than what it currently holds.

Peters was third in the preferred prime minister ranking, at 12.6 percent. Labour’s Chris Hipkins was at 21.1 percent, with Christopher Luxon on 19.4 percent.

Last year, Peters faced disruptions from hecklers during his State of the Nation speech to a packed crowd on a range of topics, including the “war on woke”, diversity targets, water fluoridation and the Paris Climate Agreement.

This year, it was expected Peters would address the cost of living and the state of the economy, as well as make an election policy announcement.

Recently at Parliament, he said he would not make his State of the Nation speech until after the GDP figures were released. He noted other party leaders were premature making their speeches before this information was available.

On Thursday, Stats NZ data showed gross domestic product (GDP), the broad measure of economic growth, rose an anaemic 0.2 percent in the three months ended December, to be 1.3 percent higher than a year ago. On an annual average basis, the economy grew 0.2 percent over the year.

Expectations were for quarterly growth in a range of 0.2 to 0.5 percent, although the growth of the previous quarter was revised lower to 0.9 percent from 1.1 percent.

Late last year, Peters signalled he was willing to criticise his coalition partners after he savaged National’s suggestion of asset sales as a “tawdry silly argument”, which he said it was falling back on after having failed to fix the economy fast enough.

“Because they’ve failed to run the economy properly, they want to go to the assets of a time when the country was run properly, when we were number two in the world and built up by our forefathers and to start to flog those off … to so-called balance their books,” Peters said.

The recent attack on Iran by the United States and Israel had the government monitoring developments, along with how fuel and supply chains could be disrupted in New Zealand.

And last week the finance minister indicated the worst-case scenario Treasury had outlined was a rise in inflation to 3.7 percent.

Peters will likely address the global instability, and how that will impact New Zealanders.

He will also likely take a swipe at the opposition. In 2024, Peters used roughly half of his State of the Nation speech to criticise the previous Labour government, along with the media and the Green Party, before outlining New Zealand First’s plans for the country.

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

Revenge served.

The Crusaders dished up a vengeful performance against Moana in Albany, to all but banish memories of their loss to the side at home in 2025.

“They stung us deeply last year,” said coach Rob Penney.

“I wouldn’t say revenge, but it was certainly something that we were well aware of, there was a lot more physical presence about us this year compared with last year.”

The defeat was buried in ruthless fashion, the Crusaders putting fifty on the proud franchise in their first appearance on the North Shore for the year.

After a lacklustre effort from a Will Jordan-less Crusaders against the Blues, Penney threw the challenge down to his backs to take the pressure off their superstar fullback.

Step up Sevu Reece, Chay Fihaki, Braydon Ennor and Leicester Faingaʻanuku.

The quartet were lethal with ball in hand alongside Jordan, combining for five scorching tries and some scintillating running rugby.

“You start rattling those names off, and how blessed are we with the talent that we’ve got? We’ve just got to keep supplying the opportunities. The ability for us to have multiple threats across the park is such a key for us, we’ve got the cattle.”

Penney worried too much reliance was being put on their superstar fullback, who was also handed captaincy duties for the clash with David Havili sidelined.

“Will stepped in and took over that leadership role superbly. So really, we didn’t miss a beat.”

After a rough start to their campaign, both Jordan and Penney felt things were clicking for the defending champs.

“It’s nice to get back-to-back victories, we’re a dangerous side and I think there’s still growth for us.” Jordan said.

It wasn’t all smooth sailing for the Cantabs, up by just three at half-time, before the floodgates burst open.

“The job was not fully done, we felt that was close towards the back end of the first half, and the boys just went to work in the second half, it was awesome,” said Penney.

Penney said his side was still far from the finished product.

“We still have a wee way to go. I think we’ve got a lot in us, and so I hope we have the ability to unleash further.”

A scary prospect for opposition sides.

“I hope so,” said Penney.

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

Beware a scorned Crusaders side.

The defending champions avenged last year’s shock loss to Moana Pasifka in ruthless style, crushing the cellar dwellers 50-21 in Albany.

Up by just three at the break, the Crusaders ran riot in the second, producing some scintillating running rugby in the rout.

Moana lost Julian Savea early to what looked like a broken arm before the Crusaders opened the scoring, Braydon Ennor showing tremendous strength to carry three defenders with him across the line.

Sevu Reece went in next to stretch his lead as Super Rugby’s most prolific try scorer, finishing a scorcher for the visitors.

Sparked by a Will Jordan injection, the fullback offloaded infield and from there it was a beautiful exchange of passes, Chay Fihaki with the last one to Reece.

Moana pulled one back as Patrick Pellegrini found a deft offload for Lalomilo Lalomilo who broke clear and linked with Joel Lam to score against his old side.

Replacement Tevita Ofa made it two in quick succession to give Moana the lead, the winger showing great gas to get on the outside of his opposite.

The Crusader’s quickly restored their lead though, Cooper Grant sending a pinpoint kick across for Chay Fihaki to pouch and plant to give them a narrow 17-14 half-time lead.

The second half however, belonged to the Crusaders.

Fainga’anuku kicked off the scoring spree with a mesmeric fourty metre run turning defenders inside out.

George Bell barged his way over for back to back, to really put things out of reach, before debutant Kurtis Macdonald scored with his first touch from a Fihaki cut out ball.

Fihaki capped his stellar night with a second as he exploded through the line and skinned the final man to score his second, Moana getting a late consolation courtesy of an intercept for Siaosi Nginingini.

See how the match unfolded here.

Team lists

Moana:

1. Tito Tuipulotu 2. Millennium Sanerivi 3. Atu Moli 4. Tom Savage 5. Allan Craig 6. Miracle Faiilagi (c) 7. Niko Jones 8. Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa 9. Joel Lam 10. Patrick Pellegrini 11. Glen Vaihu 12. Julian Savea 13. Lalomilo Lalomilo 14. Tevita Latu 15. William Havili

Bench: 16. Mamoru Harada 17. Abraham Pole 18. Chris Apoua 19. Veikoso Poloniati 20. Dominic Ropeti 21. Siaosi Nginingini 22. Jackson Garden-Bachop 23. Tevita Ofa.

“We’re in search of playing our game and hopefully we can get it..” – Head coach Fa’alogo Tana Umaga.

Crusaders:

1. Finlay Brewis 2. George Bell 3. Fletcher Newell 4. Tahlor Cahill 5. Jamie Hannah 6. Ethan Blackadder (vc) 7. Johnny Lee 8. Christian Lio-Willie 9. Noah Hotham 10. Cooper Grant (debut) 11. Sevu Reece 12. Dallas McLeod 13. Braydon Ennor 14. Chay Fihaki 15. Will Jordan (c)

Bench: 16. Manumaua Letiu 17. George Bower 18. Seb Calder 19. Antonio Shalfoon 20. Xavier Saifoloi 21. Kyle Preston 22. Leicester Fainga’anuku 23. Kurtis Macdonald (debut).

“We’re going week by week. The aim is to back up a win with a win, build our consistency, prepare well, and hit the ground running. We haven’t had the quickest starts, so doing those things will make it very satisfying.” – Crusaders coach Rob Penney.

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

Follow all the Super Rugby Pacific action as the Crusaders take on Moana Pasifika at North Harbour Stadium in Auckland.

Kick-off is at 7.05pm.

Team lists

Moana:

1. Tito Tuipulotu 2. Millennium Sanerivi 3. Atu Moli 4. Tom Savage 5. Allan Craig 6. Miracle Faiilagi (c) 7. Niko Jones 8. Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa 9. Joel Lam 10. Patrick Pellegrini 11. Glen Vaihu 12. Julian Savea 13. Lalomilo Lalomilo 14. Tevita Latu 15. William Havili

Bench: 16. Mamoru Harada 17. Abraham Pole 18. Chris Apoua 19. Veikoso Poloniati 20. Dominic Ropeti 21. Siaosi Nginingini 22. Jackson Garden-Bachop 23. Tevita Ofa.

“We’re in search of playing our game and hopefully we can get it..” – Head coach Fa’alogo Tana Umaga.

Crusaders:

1. Finlay Brewis 2. George Bell 3. Fletcher Newell 4. Tahlor Cahill 5. Jamie Hannah 6. Ethan Blackadder (vc) 7. Johnny Lee 8. Christian Lio-Willie 9. Noah Hotham 10. Cooper Grant (debut) 11. Sevu Reece 12. Dallas McLeod 13. Braydon Ennor 14. Chay Fihaki 15. Will Jordan (c)

Bench: 16. Manumaua Letiu 17. George Bower 18. Seb Calder 19. Antonio Shalfoon 20. Xavier Saifoloi 21. Kyle Preston 22. Leicester Fainga’anuku 23. Kurtis Macdonald (debut).

“We’re going week by week. The aim is to back up a win with a win, build our consistency, prepare well, and hit the ground running. We haven’t had the quickest starts, so doing those things will make it very satisfying.” – Crusaders coach Rob Penney.

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

New Zealand has joined 19 other countries in condemning Iranian attacks on commercial ships in the Gulf.

In a collective statement, the countries including the United Kingdom and Germany, expressed “deep concern” about the escalating conflict.

They called on Iran to immediately cease threats, laying mines, drone and missile attacks and other attempts to block commercial vessels from travelling through the Strait of Hormuz.

But some of New Zealand’s most like-minded partners, including Australia, were notably absent from the statement.

In a post on X, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon emphasised the attacks against fuel tankers and energy infrastructure were leading to higher fuel prices for New Zealanders.

“That’s why we have joined the United Kingdom and other countries in condemning Iran’s attacks in the Gulf.”

Iran had effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz to ships carrying fuel and critical goods to “places like New Zealand”, he said.

“New Zealand has a longstanding record of working with like-minded partners to ensure open supply lines for global trade.”

The statement also expressed its signatories would be ready “to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait”.

Luxon clarified any such future support would need to be considered by Cabinet.

The statement called for a moratorium on strikes against civilian oil and gas infrastructure.

Attacks on fuel tankers and energy infrastructure in the Middle East are leading directly to higher fuel prices for Kiwis.

That’s why we have joined the United Kingdom and other countries in condemning Iran’s attacks in the Gulf. Iran has forced the effective closure of the… pic.twitter.com/aiT1JXjWtc

— Christopher Luxon (@chrisluxonmp) March 20, 2026

The countries said Iran’s actions would be felt across the world, especially by the most vulnerable.

They welcomed the International Energy Agency’s decision to release strategic petroleum reserves.

Throughout the statement, they called for a recognition of international and maritime security and freedom of navigation law by all states.

“We call on all states to respect international law and uphold the fundamental principles of international prosperity and security.”

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

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 20 March 2026 – Chuangxin Industries Holdings Limited (Chuangxin Industries, 02788.HK), a dominant leader in China’s fully integrated aluminum value chain, announced a stellar financial performance for the fiscal year 2025 this week. Despite a complex global macroeconomic environment, the company reported revenue of RMB 18.68 billion, representing a robust 23.2% year-on-year increase. Profit attributable to owners of the company surged by an impressive 32.8% to RMB 2.731 billion. Basic earnings per share rose to RMB 1.75 from RMB 1.37 in 2024. In a move that underscores its strong balance sheet and commitment to shareholder returns, the Board has proposed a final dividend of HK$ 0.77 per share.

The global aluminum landscape in 2025 was defined by extreme volatility in London Metal Exchange (LME) prices and escalating energy costs across traditional smelting hubs. Chuangxin Industries showcased notable resilience, underpinned by its fully integrated electrolytic aluminum industrial chain. The company’s revenue was anchored by its core electrolytic aluminum business, which contributed RMB13.62 billion (72.92% of total), while alumina and related products added RMB4.42 billion.

Central to Chuangxin Industries’ outperformance is its 100% self-sufficiency in alumina and power, the twin pillars of its strategic “cost moat.” This vertically integrated footprint is anchored by a 788.1 kt/a electrolytic aluminum smelter and a dedicated captive power plant in Huolinguole, Inner Mongolia, complemented by a 1.2 million t/a alumina refinery in Binzhou, Shandong, which is strategically positioned near import ports. This tightly coordinated infrastructure allows the Group to exert precision control over core input costs. Consequently, the Group ranks as a top-tier cost leader in China, possessing a structural advantage that serves as both a defensive shield during commodity downcycles and a powerful lever for earnings elasticity during market recoveries.

The Chuangxin Industries’ March 9 entry into the Hong Kong Stock Connect opens the door to mainland investors. Expected Southbound liquidity should enhance market depth and catalyze a valuation recovery. Analysts view its structural cost moat and green manufacturing leadership as a compelling, cash-flow-resilient proposition for long-term investors navigating today’s high-interest-rate environment.

Looking ahead, Chuangxin Industries is focusing on green growth and global expansion.

Domestically, Chuangxin Industries is rapidly building 1,750 MW of wind and solar capacity in Inner Mongolia, aiming to source over 50% of its power from renewable sources by the end of 2026, reducing both carbon emissions and long-term energy costs.

Internationally, Chuangxin Industries’ planned 500 kt/a aluminum smelting facility in Saudi Arabia will leverage Saudi Arabia’s competitive energy costs and port logistics to serve regional demand and diversify its production base beyond China. By establishing a footprint abroad, Chuangxin Industries is hedging against geopolitical barriers while enhancing its global edge through competitive energy costs in the Middle East.

Chuangxin Industries is cementing its status as a world-class green aluminum leader. Its synergy of integrated efficiency and global expansion offers investors a resilient, sustainable play at the heart of the sector’s high-growth future.

Hashtag: #ChuangxinIndustries

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

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

21 seconds ago

Fifty-seven graduates crossed the stage at the War Memorial Theatre in Gisborne today, in the first EIT Tairāwhiti graduation since the polytechnic re-established itself as a standalone institution.

The ceremony brought together graduates, whānau and community leaders from across the region to celebrate academic achievement and the journeys behind each qualification.

In total, 443 qualifications were achieved in 2025 by students who studied at EIT’s Tairāwhiti-based locations. Of those, 73 were bachelor’s degrees or diplomas, while a further 370 certificates were awarded at other ceremonies throughout the year.

The average age of graduates was 30, with students ranging in age from 16 to 76.

A total of 993 students enrolled at EIT Tairāwhiti in 2025. While not all were expected to complete their studies within the year, the completion rate for those due to finish was 86 per cent – ahead of the overall EIT completion rate of 84 per cent across Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti.

Of those enrolled at EIT Tairāwhiti in 2025, 69 per cent identified as Māori and 7 per cent as Pasifika.

EIT Chief Executive Lucy Laitinen delivered opening remarks at her first Tairāwhiti graduation since taking the role, while EIT Chair David Pearson offered closing comments.

Lucy said the occasion was a moment of pride for both the institute and the wider community.

“We are incredibly proud of our graduates and all they have achieved. Education is transformative. It opens doors for individuals, strengthens whānau, and builds capability and confidence across our communities.

“Having regained our independence, EIT is more determined than ever to serve Tairāwhiti and the wider region, ensuring our graduates leave with the skills, knowledge and resilience to make a real difference, both locally and beyond.”

Tairāwhiti Campus Executive Director Tracey Tangihaere said the ceremony was a special occasion for the region.

“It is always a wonderful occasion to recognise and celebrate the success of so many graduates and honour the many people who have supported their academic journey,” she said.

“This year carries added significance as we re-establish EIT as an independent institution for our region.”

She also acknowledged the passing of long-serving kaumātua Ngāti Porou leader Taina Ngārimu, and welcomed Dr Wayne Ngata, who officiated the ceremony.

“We acknowledge the legacy and contribution of Taina Ngārimu, and we are honoured to have Dr Wayne Ngata step into this role, continuing that guidance and leadership.”

Guest speaker Jordan Lima (Ngāti Porou, Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti, Ngāpuhi) addressed graduates, alongside valedictorian Ami Hokianga (Rongowhakaata, Ngāti Porou, Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi). Gisborne Deputy Mayor Aubrey Ria was also in attendance.

Tracey said the day was also a time to reflect on the values carried forward by graduates.

“I love the sentiments of ‘keep your face to the sunshine, be the change you wish to see, live life to the fullest, and spread positivity in the world’.”

MIL OSI