Te reo Māori names gifted to five Auckland regional parks 

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Source: Auckland Council Five Auckland regional parks have received Māori names and narratives, helping to strengthen the cultural identity of Tāmaki Makaurau and reconnect some of Auckland’s most well-known landscapes with their ancestral stories. Mana whenua have shared ancestral names for Long Bay, Shakespear and Wenderholm regional parks, a new Māori name has been provided…

Environment – Rotorua company fined for illegally releasing synthetic greenhouse gases

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Source: Environmental Protection Authority The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) welcomes the recent fines for a Rotorua-based company and one of its employees for illegally releasing a synthetic greenhouse gas. On 25 June 2026, the Rotorua District Court fined G.B Teat Limited and an employee, Cole Wicks, following their guilty plea to a single charge each under … Read more

Gumboot Friday records busiest month of 2026 so far, supporting 2,213 young Kiwis in May

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Source: Gumboot Friday In May 2026, 2,213 young people aged 5-25 accessed free counselling through Gumboot Friday – the highest monthly total recorded so far this year – with 3,578 sessions delivered nationwide. Sessions are free, no referral is required, and young people choose the counsellor they want to talk to from Gumboot Friday’s registered … Read more

Media Sector – Gambling in New Zealand needs responsible advertising – Global TV Experts

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Source: Global TV Experts Auckland, 29 June, 2026 – Global TV Experts, a specialist iGaming television advertising agency, has launched GTE Pacific after securing access to nationwide television advertising inventory for licensed online gambling operators entering New Zealand’s newly regulated market. The launch comes as New Zealand prepares to award up to 15 online casino … Read more

Events – World’s highest lift-and-descent ride opens at Auckland’s Sky Tower

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Source: AJ HACKETT BUNGY NEW ZEALAND, AUCKLAND  AJ Hackett Bungy New Zealand (AJHBNZ) has today launched SkyRide at Auckland’s Sky Tower – the world’s highest lift-and-descent ride. Designed to be experienced either solo or with a friend, SkyRide lifts riders 192 metres up the outside of the Sky Tower from street level before returning them … Read more

Awards – Hamilton-based Optiplumb Ltd Wins New Zealand’s Top Plumbing Award

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Source: Master Plumbers Gasfitters and Drainlayers Just five years after starting out as a one-man band based in a home garage, Optiplumb Ltd has been named the 2026 New Zealand Master Plumber of the Year. Presented at the 2026 New Zealand Plumbing Awards on 26 June, the award recognises outstanding achievement in workmanship, business performance, customer … Read more

Awards – Rotorua plumbing customers are in good hands with award-winning apprentice Sam Baldwin

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Source: Master Plumbers Gasfitters and Drainlayers Rotorua plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying apprentice Sam Baldwin has been awarded a Plumbing World Scholarship at the 2026 New Zealand Plumbing Awards [26 June 2026]. Sam, 21, is among only three apprentices around New Zealand to receive one of the $1,000 scholarships, presented each year to promising apprentices completing their … Read more

Awards – Waikato Master Plumbers awarded for community spirit in development of new Hamilton woodcraft hub

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Source: Master Plumbers Gasfitters and Drainlayers Local Master Plumbers are volunteering their labour to help turn Hamilton’s historic World War II era hall in Flynn Park into a multi-functional Community Woodcraft and Arts Hub. Their efforts were acknowledged at the 2026 New Zealand Plumbing Awards [26 June 2026), when they received the coveted ‘Kava Cup’ trophy, … Read more

Awards – Wanaka plumbing apprentice awarded for his work on complex, high-end homes

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Source: Master Plumbers Gasfitters and Drainlayers Plumbing apprentice Rory Read, 25, has cut his teeth on some of Wanaka’s large-scale architectural homes. These technically detailed builds can take up to two years to complete. Not for the faint-hearted, they require careful coordination between architects, project managers, builders, plumbers and other specialist trades. The high quality of … Read more

Awards – 2026 New Zealand Plumbing Awards: Full List of Winners

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Source: Master Plumbers Gasfitters and Drainlayers Master Plumbers is pleased to announce the winners and finalists awarded at the 2026 New Zealand Plumbing Awards on Friday 26 June. The New Zealand Plumbing Awards wraps up our annual New Zealand Plumbing Conference, this year held in Kirikiriroa Hamilton. Plumbing World Scholarships Plumbing World Scholarships are awarded to three … Read more

Awards – Ankle surgery couldn’t slow down this award-winning Auckland apprentice

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Source: Master Plumbers Gasfitters and Drainlayers Newly qualified Masterlink apprentice Eric Gruythuysen, 25, has been named the overall winner of the 2026 Plumbing World Scholarship, recognising his dedication to the trade despite all obstacles. Eric received the award at the 2026 New Zealand Plumbing Awards in Hamilton on 26 June, following an eventful year in which … Read more

Master Plumbers’ new AI tool helps tradespeople navigate building standards in seconds

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Source: Master Plumbers Gasfitters and Drainlayers A new AI-powered tool called Toby will give plumbers, gas fitters and drainlayers access to critical building standards and regulations at their fingertips. Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk and Master Plumbers announced a pilot of the tool, available for up to 200 users, at the membership organisation’s annual conference … Read more

Construction Sector – Construction cost growth takes its foot off the gas – QV

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Source: Quality Valuation (QV) Construction cost growth has largely stabilised for now, with the latest QV CostBuilder update showing minimal movement across key rates in June. Diesel prices have fallen by a further 6.5% this month, helping to reduce costs in more fuel-intensive areas of construction work, such as excavation (-1.5%), which recorded the largest … Read more

Universities – What helps people beat multi-pronged nicotine addiction? – UoA

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Source: University of Auckland (UoA) A world-leading study into the most effective way to beat multi-pronged nicotine addiction is launching at the University of Auckland. Professor Chris Bullen has received $1.44 million from the Health Research Council to compare the effectiveness of a newly approved drug in New Zealand – cytisine – with gradually tapering … Read more

Consumer NZ says loyalty data for grocery discounts could push supermarket prices even higher

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Source: Consumer NZ Supermarket loyalty cards might seem like the best way to get a bargain, but Consumer NZ is warning they might ultimately lead to higher prices at the checkout. Supermarket loyalty cards might seem like the best way to get a bargain, but Consumer NZ is warning they might ultimately lead to higher … Read more

Appointed – GUARDIANS APPOINTS NEW HEAD OF PRIVATE EQUITY & ALTERNATIVES

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Source: Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation The Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation, manager of the $93 billion NZ Super Fund, has appointed William Fletcher to the role of Head of Private Equity & Alternative Investments. Fletcher joins the Guardians from Fisher Funds, where he managed the global private equity and alternatives portfolio. His previous roles … Read more

Government twiddling thumbs while the wood sector burns – Workers First Union

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Source: Workers First Union Workers First Union is calling out the National-NZ First-ACT Government for abandoning Northland’s workers with empty words and a blame game, as the proposed closure of Juken New Zealand’s Northland Mill in Kaitāia is likely to become the seventh major wood processing site lost on their watch, with over 800 jobs lost … Read more

DOC’s catch of the day: tasty science insights

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Source: NZ Department of Conservation Date:  29 June 2026 That’s the message from the Department of Conservation and its partners as they embark on lobster surveys in marine protection areas around the Hauraki Gulf/Tīkapa Moana. From 29 June and through July, two contracted commercial vessels will be catching lobsters inside and outside marine protected areas around…

NZCTU welcomes Labour’s plan to restore and expand Apprenticeship Boost

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Source: NZCTU The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi is welcoming Labour’s announcement today that it will restore and expand the Apprenticeship Boost scheme if elected in November. NZCTU Secretary Melissa Ansell-Bridges says the scheme’s restoration is long overdue. “Apprentice numbers reached record highs when the original scheme was in place and…

TCL Supports “2026 Olympic Day cum Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Fun Run”, Celebrating the Olympic Spirit with Athletes and the Public, and Offering Lucky Draw Prizes Worth Approximately HK$180,000

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Source: Media Outreach HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 28 June 2026 – TCL, as a Worldwide Olympic Partner, proudly supported the “2026 Olympic Day cum Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Fun Run”, organised by the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China, joining more than 2,500 members of the public and athletes … Read more

ADVISORY: Planned website upgrade

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Source: New Zealand Police New Zealand Police is due to undergo a planned system upgrade to the news section of our website. This upgrade will largely take place overnight between Sunday 28 and Monday 29 June 2026. The public and media won’t notice a change, but our Media Centre will be unable to issue media…

Arrest made after serious assaults, Nawton

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Source: New Zealand Police One man is in custody after an assault last night in Nawton that left two people seriously injured. Police were called about 10pm to Avalon Drive after a report of people fighting at a service station. When emergency services arrived, two people were located with injuries. They were both transported to…