Recession ends – Economic challenges remain

Source: Council of Trade Unions – CTU Figures released by Statistics New Zealand today showed that the economy grew by 0.7% ending the very deep recession seen over the past year, said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Economist Craig Renney. “Even though GDP grew in the three months to December, our economy is still 1.1% smaller … Read more

Resurfacing work planned for State Highway 1 Transmission Gully

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency People traveling northbound on State Highway 1 Te Aranui o Te Rangihaeata – Transmission Gully need to be ready for night-time resurfacing works this weekend. From 5 pm on Sunday, 23 March through to 6 am on Monday, 24 March, road workers will complete resurfacing works north of the Waitangirua … Read more

It’s official: Kiwis can look forward to better days

Source: New Zealand Government Finance Minister Nicola Willis has welcomed confirmation the economy has turned the corner. Stats NZ reported today that gross domestic product grew 0.7 per cent in the three months to December following falls in the June and September quarters. “We know many families and businesses are still suffering the after-effects of … Read more

Finance Analysis – Red, black, red, and now back in black. We are crawling out of recession – Jarrod Kerr Kiwibank

Source: Kiwibank  – Analysis by Jarrod Kerr My odds are stacked, I’ll go back to black – Amy Winehouse Red, black, red, and now back in black. We are crawling out of recession. After some painful falls in activity over the second half of last year, the Kiwi economy ended 2024 on a better note. … Read more

Low-cost diagnostic tool could significantly improve crop production in developing countries

Source: Ministry for Primary Industries Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) scientists are part of an international team developing a low-cost diagnostic tool that could significantly improve food crop production in developing countries. The rapid test uses a combination of chemistries to identify plant disease and will allow growers to remove unhealthy plants in the field … Read more

Sealing improves safety on Forgotten World Highway

Source: New Zealand Government The sealing of a 12-kilometre stretch of State Highway 43 (SH43) through the Tangarakau Gorge – one of the last remaining sections of unsealed state highway in the country – has been completed this week as part of a wider programme of work aimed at improving the safety and resilience of … Read more

Universities – Canadian philanthropist announces $4m donation to endow NZ scholarships – UoA

Source: University of Auckland (UoA) A $4 million donation from Canadian philanthropist John McCall MacBain has boosted a major scholarship programme for exceptional postgraduate students with the potential to be future leaders for New Zealand. It will ensure the programme can continue long-term, potentially forever. The endowed donation was announced at the launch of the … Read more

Sisters, aunties, daughters and mothers to celebrate Myers Park  

Source: Auckland Council HER festival is hosting a celebration of Myers Park. Bring your daughters, mothers, aunties and female friends! Sparkling with new light projections, art, birdsong, dancing, inspiration and 344 trees (24 newly planted), the park is the venue for Into the Night on Saturday 5 April from 4pm until 10.30pm. With enhanced park … Read more

Rock on – Beach Hop 2025

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency The journey to Whangamatā for Beach Hop this year should be smooth cruising with the majority of road maintenance works completed in the Coromandel. The event starts on Wednesday 26 March finishing up in Whangamatā on Sunday 30 March. “Any ongoing work will be paused on the cruise route for … Read more

Defence News – RNZAF flight delivers much-needed medical chairs to Samoa

Source: New Zealand Defence Force A Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) C-130J Hercules has delivered specialised medical chairs to Samoa. The five bulky chairs are designed for patients receiving chemotherapy or dialysis treatment and were donated by Christchurch’s Forté Health Hospital. The delivery was facilitated by Rotary New Zealand. The Hercules left RNZAF Base … Read more

Environment – NZ dairy linked to deforestation inside Attenborough orangutan documentary wildlife reserve – Greenpeace

Source: Greenpeace Greenpeace Aotearoa says that New Zealand dairy has been linked to deforestation inside the wildlife reserve featured in David Attenborough’s orangutan documentary, Secret Lives of Orangutans. The organisation says that it is deeply concerned by news that two companies exporting to New Zealand have been sourcing palm kernel from a mill known to be … Read more

Dairy and Business – Fonterra’s momentum delivers strong FY25 interim earnings and dividend

Source: Fonterra Operating profit: NZ $1,107 million, up 16%   Profit after tax: NZ $729 million, up 8%   Earnings per share: 44 cents per share, up 10%  Return on capital: 10.2% down from 13.4%   Interim dividend, fully imputed: 22 cents per share  Forecast Farmgate Milk Price range narrows: NZ $9.70 – $10.30 per kgMS  … Read more

Health – Dental Association share’s top tips for a healthy mouth on World Oral Health Day

Source: New Zealand Dental Association The New Zealand Dental Association (NZDA) encourages Kiwis of all ages to use World Oral Health Day as an opportunity to commit to better oral health habits. “Small daily actions can lead to a lifetime of healthier smiles and improved overall health and well-being,” says NZDA Colgate Oral Health Promotion Manager, … Read more

Banking and Finance – Further drops to ASB’s fixed mortgage rates

Source: ASB ASB has today reduced several of its fixed home lending rates by up to 20 basis points, marking the bank’s fifth fixed rate mortgage drop in 2025. ASB is reducing its 6-month rate by 10 basis points from 5.89% to 5.79%, while the longer-term 4-and-5-year rates have dropped to 5.59% and 5.69% respectively. … Read more

Surveys – Workers rate job security ahead of pay amid concerns about redundancies this year

Source: Robert Half 81% of New Zealand workers are concerned about redundancies occurring at their company in 2025  37% of workers prioritise their job security ahead of pay this year  To prepare for possible redundancy, 47% of workers are pursuing further training to improve their marketability, while 54% are passively looking for a new job  … Read more

Name release: Fatal crash, Loburn

Source: New Zealand Police (National News) Police are now in a position to release the name of the man who died following a crash in Loburn on 1 March He was 66-year-old Wayne Charles Harrison also known as Harry, from Richmond, Tasman Police extend our condolences to his friends and family. Enquiries to determine the … Read more

InternetNZ – Concern about AI remains high amongst New Zealanders

Source: InternetNZ A recent Internet Insights survey conducted by InternetNZ has revealed that a large majority of New Zealanders (68%) are worried about the potential malicious use of AI and the lack of regulation surrounding it. While only 10% of respondents expressed more excitement than concern, 44% reported feeling more concerned than excited. InternetNZ Chief Executive … Read more

InternetNZ – Women, elderly, and minority groups more concerned about online harm, study reveals

Source: InternetNZ New Internet Insights research released by InternetNZ shows a massive number of New Zealanders are concerned about young children accessing inappropriate content online. A staggering 71% of New Zealanders surveyed said they are either extremely or very concerned about young children accessing inappropriate content – making it the top concern for the fifth year … Read more

InternetNZ – New Zealanders highly concerned about online misinformation, harm, and harassment

Source: InternetNZ InternetNZ’s annual insights survey has revealed that misinformation remains a top concern for New Zealanders online for the sixth consecutive year. The results from a survey of 1001 New Zealanders showed that misleading or inaccurate information is a cause of significant concern for 61% of the population, with an additional 26% being somewhat concerned. … Read more

InternetNZ – Many New Zealanders confused about where to report harmful online content, survey

Source: InternetNZ A recent InternetNZ survey has found that only a third of New Zealanders know where to report harmful, dangerous, or concerning online content. Internet Insights, an annual survey, revealed that only 35% of people know which organisations, websites or agencies to go to if they need to report something. The percentage has dropped for … Read more

InternetNZ – New Zealanders spending more time online than ever – InternetNZ

Source: InternetNZ A study commissioned by InternetNZ found that New Zealanders are spending more time online than ever, with 50% of respondents spending four or more hours of their leisure time on the Internet each day. Internet Insights is an annual survey of New Zealanders’ habits, concerns and awareness of the online world, and has seen … Read more

Finance – ‘Rate wars’ could see borrowers go long again – CoreLogic

Source: CoreLogic As more new and existing borrowers begin to benefit from lower mortgage rates following the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s (RBNZ) cutting cycle, market turnover levels and property values should continue to trend higher in the coming months. The ‘Chart of the Month’ from CoreLogic NZ’s March Housing Chart Pack looks at RBNZ … Read more

Privacy Reports – Outgoing Chief Ombudsman releases ‘reflections’ report on Official Information Act

Source: Office of the Ombudsman Outgoing Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier says stiffer penalties may be needed for government agencies that persistently delay the release of official information. Mr Boshier has today released a report about his reflections over the past nine years, on the Official Information Act 1982, along with separate investigations into seven agencies, and … Read more

InternetNZ – Desire for flexibility remains amid fall in number of remote workers

Source: InternetNZ Nearly half of New Zealanders who have the option to work from home would like to do so more, however the actual number of people working remotely is decreasing. This is according to the latest Internet Insights annual survey conducted by InternetNZ. Vivien Maidaborn, CEO of InternetNZ, believes that while employers are reconsidering work-from-home … Read more

NZ – US relations on strong footing

Source: New Zealand Government Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters says relations between New Zealand and the United States are on a strong footing, as he concludes a week-long visit to New York and Washington DC today.“We came to the United States to ask the new Administration what it wants from New Zealand, … Read more

Correction – Operation Sove update

Source: New Zealand Police (National News) Two previous releases regarding Operation Sove, the murder and arson investigation in Stokes Valley, were published with incorrect dates. The three incidents Police are investigating occurred on Thursday 10 October, Monday 14 October and Tuesday 5 November. We ask media to please update any stories accordingly. We apologise for … Read more

Further arrest made in Operation Sove – Stokes Valley murder and arson

Source: New Zealand Police (National News) Attributable to Detective Inspector Haley Ryan Hutt Valley Police have arrested a fourth person overnight in connection to the murder of Ian David Moller and the arson of his property in Stokes Valley late last year. A 26-year-old Upper Hutt man has been charged with murder, arson, conspiring to … Read more