Weather News – Spring swings: Calm skies give way to stormy change – MetService

September 8, 2025

Source: MetService

Covering period of Monday 8 – Thursday 11 September
The cooler temperatures, clear skies, and calm conditions that kick off the beginning of the second week of spring will be in stark contrast to the end of the week, with MetService forecasting wet and windy weather to move up the country from the early hours of Tuesday.

A clear and bright Monday morning came with an extra treat of a lunar eclipse, glimpsed as the moon set. With a ridge of high pressure extending over most of the country, cloud-free skies allowed a vast swathe of the population to view the astronomical phenomenon.

While Tuesday will also start off frosty and fresh, the impending change in the weather will not be far away. The first signs will be an increase in cloud and a switch in the wind: fresh southerly winds give way to gusty northwesterly winds about the southern South Island on Tuesday. Rain accompanies this change in weather, heaviest in the west and possibly thundery there also.

MetService meteorologist Clare O’Connor says, “The front tracking northward up the country has a lot going on: heavy rain and thunderstorms right along the entire western coast; the chance of severe gale northwesterly winds for Canterbury High Country and the lower North Island; and potentially a fresh dump of spring snow for the southern ski fields. This week is really embodying what we think of as spring conditions.”

Later in the week, another shift in weather is expected. As the first front moves off to the east, a new one sinks down from the north. While still a few days away, it is already expected to pack a punch across the upper North Island.

O’Connor adds, “The northern North Island will escape the worst of the weather earlier in the week, but that will change come Thursday. Again, we are expecting heavy rain, potentially gale westerly winds, and maybe even some thunderstorms to have an impact over this area.”

With changeable weather prevailing this week, keeping up to date with the weather at metservice.com will be paramount, especially when deciding whether to take your raincoat or sunglasses – or maybe even both.

MIL OSI

Health and Employment – Senior doctors to strike for 48 hours in September

LiveNews Publisher

September 8, 2025

Source: Association of Salaried Medical Specialists

Senior doctors and dentists working for Health New Zealand have voted to strike for 48 hours over stalled pay talks with their employer.

The strike will see the complete withdrawal of labour of Association of Salaried Medical Specialists members from 12:01am on 23 September 2025 until 11:59pm on 24 September 2025.

ASMS members will maintain life preserving services during the strike. These plans will be negotiated over the next five days.

A total of 85% of members who cast a vote were in favour of the two-day strike.

The strike ballot was issued after members almost unanimously rejected Health New Zealand’s latest pay offer, which would have seen a real pay cut for most members. For 90% of senior doctors and dentists covered by our collective agreement, this offer would have represented an annualised pay increase of just 1.16% per year.

Escalating strike action is a last resort, but Health New Zealand must make ASMS members an offer that ensures that specialist salary rates remain competitive and allows Health New Zealand to recruit the medical workforce Aotearoa needs.

The ASMS is ready to resume pay talks and is expecting to meet with the employer before the strike.

ASMS encourages Health New Zealand to return to bargaining with a better offer.

Full details of the ballot results are here.

Details of Health New Zealand’s last pay offer is here, and ASMS’ analysis of it is here.

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Nurses Organisation files first Pay Equity claims under new regime

LiveNews Publisher

September 8, 2025

Source: New Zealand Nurses Organisation

The first two Pay Equity claims under the Coalition Government’s new stricter regime have been filed today by Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO).

NZNO today filed the claims on behalf of its Hospice and Plunket members, covering about 750 and 800 people respectively. Hospice and Plunket were the most advanced of NZNO’s 12 previous claims which were scrapped overnight with the Government’s changes on 6 May.

NZNO spokesperson and Hospice nurse Fiona McDougal says almost 95% of NZNO nurses and support staff working for Hospice are female.

“Our work involves supporting, counselling, and caring for people of all ages needing end-of-life and holistic palliative care in hospice, their homes and the community. We also support their whānau.

“It is skilled and difficult work that not everyone is cut out for. Our work is a crucial part of a caring society. Yet it is work that has long been considered that of women. For that reason, we continue to be underpaid,” Fiona McDougal says.

NZNO delegate and Plunket nurse Hannah Cook says it is estimated that around 98% of Plunket nurses are female.

“About 80% of all newborn babies in Aotearoa New Zealand are seen by skilled and experienced Whānau Āwhina Plunket nurses like me.

“Yet because care work has been historically and systemically devalued in homes and communities, the work we do has been undervalued and underpaid.

“For my colleagues and I, today is an important day. Our mahi is important and we deserve to be paid at the same level for our skills and experience as those in a comparable male dominated occupation,” Hannah Cook says.

NZNO Pay Equity spokesperson Glenda Alexander says NZNO will now meet with each employer separately to progress the respective claims as set out under the new law.

“The employers will now be required to confirm the claims have met the merit and other thresholds required under the new regime. A process to assess the claims will then be set up.

“We know all parties to the two claims are keen to see a positive outcome for these nurses,” Glenda Alexander says.

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Greenpeace calls for Cantabrians to bring polluted drinking water to ECan

LiveNews Publisher

September 8, 2025

Source: Greenpeace

Greenpeace is holding a rally outside Environment Canterbury on the council’s final sitting day before elections, to bring nitrate-contaminated drinking water directly to the regional council.

The rally will take place on September 17th at 9:30am outside Environment Canterbury’s Christchurch headquarters. Greenpeace is asking participants to bring a jar of their drinking water with them.

Greenpeace spokesperson Will Appelbe says “Environment Canterbury are burying their heads in the sand and expecting that Canterbury’s drinking water crisis will magically resolve itself – but the reality is, fixing water pollution is Environment Canterbury’s responsibility.

“That’s why on September 17th, we’ll be delivering nitrate contaminated drinking water from homes across the region to the people responsible for enabling that contamination.

“At a time when lakes and rivers are unswimmable, and rural people can’t even drink the water coming out of their kitchen tap without worrying about getting sick, Environment Canterbury has greenlit more than 16,000 extra dairy cattle onto the Canterbury plains in just the last eight months.”

Appelbe says, “Intensive dairying is the main source of nitrate pollution in Canterbury, and Environment Canterbury knows this. Ignoring the problem is not going to make it go away – so we’re bringing the issue to the council’s doorstep.”

“The people of Canterbury want clean drinking water now, and they’re willing to vote for it. Our challenge to ECan candidates is: who’s willing to stand up to defend Canterbury’s fresh water by ending dairy expansion and phasing out the use of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser?”

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Health – Urgent relief for Christchurch kura battling unhealthy buildings

LiveNews Publisher

September 8, 2025

Source: Asthma and Respiratory Foundation

Ten heavy-duty air purifiers are being gifted to a Christchurch kura ā iwi to help protect tamariki from the increased risk of respiratory issues caused by potential exposure to cold, damp, and mouldy classrooms.

The Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ, with support from Friends of the Foundation partner AHI Carrier Toshiba, is donating the air scrubbers to Te Pā o Rākaihautū, where staff and students are ensuring equitable property provision to ensure safe, warm and dry learning spaces.

A recent workplace health and safety report, commissioned by the school’s board in May, identified “critical issues” in the 70-year-old repurposed buildings, including rotting walls, mould growth, and ongoing leaks over areas where food is prepared.

The report noted that evidence had emerged of health deterioration among staff and students, including “increased asthma symptoms reported among staff. Breathing difficulties and respiratory illness reported in students not previously affected”.

Foundation Chief Executive Ms Letitia Harding says the air scrubbers are an urgent measure to reduce harm, but fall far short of what the kura really needs.

“Every breath matters, especially for our tamariki.

“When we heard that these children were learning in freezing, damp classrooms where mould and illness are potentially spreading, we knew we had to step in,” she says.

“These scrubbers will help filter the air and provide some relief, but what this kura really needs are safe, healthy, permanent buildings – no child should have to learn in conditions that harm their health.”

Te Pā o Rākaihautū Kaiurungi (Principal) Terina Tahau says staff and students are incredibly grateful for the support.

“We are thankful to the Foundation and AHI Carrier Toshiba for recognising the urgency of our situation, but it should never fall on charities to step in where the system has failed.”

The pā wananga has been operating out of temporary, inadequate buildings (that were closed following the Christchurch earthquakes) for over a decade, she says.

“The reality is our pononga are expected to continue to learn in temporary, aged facilities that are not fit for purpose.

“While we always ensure our pononga are safe and we have the heat pumps operating 24/7 when it is cold, the number of ongoing property emergencies is unacceptable,” she says.

“Far too much time, and money, is spent on putting plasters (temporary fixes) on these property concerns.

“However, despite all of this our pononga thrive and achieve well above the National norms.”

AHI Carrier Toshiba Marketing Manager Shirli Talbot says the company was keen to act quickly once it learned of the kura’s situation.

“Supplying air scrubbers is something practical we could do straight away to help improve the air they’re breathing every day, while longer-term solutions are still being worked through.”

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Well overdue for Minister Van Velden to apologise for outrageous attack on judicial independence – PSA

LiveNews Publisher

September 8, 2025

Source: PSA

It has now been 17 days since Minister of Workplace Relations Brooke Van Velden made extraordinary and unprecedented comments about new and existing members of the Employment Relations Authority, yet these damaging remarks remain uncorrected on the public record.

“This defiance shows a concerning pattern where ideology and politics override cabinet rules and longstanding constitutional principles,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.

“For Minister Van Velden, political point-scoring appears more important than respecting the separation of powers that underpins our democracy.”

Minister Van Velden’s statements that she hopes new Authority members will ‘lend a more sympathetic ear to business,’ that she expects ‘smaller awards against business,’ and her dismissive claim that current members ‘believe money grows on trees’ represent a fundamental breach of constitutional norms.

The seriousness of these comments was acknowledged by the Prime Minister, who asked the Attorney General to warn Cabinet of the ‘need for careful use of language’ and remind Cabinet members that the Employment Relations Authority is independent.

“Despite this clear rebuke, Minister Van Velden has offered neither clarification nor apology, allowing her inappropriate interference to stand.

“It’s also alarming that the Minister’s stance was echoed by ACT Party leader David Seymour, who celebrated these comments in a LinkedIn post that he has also failed to withdraw despite the Prime Minister’s intervention.

“This is not an isolated incident. Minister Van Velden previously dismantled pay equity laws and cancelled claims under urgency, denying natural justice to thousands of workers whose cases were shredded without warning or recourse. These actions demonstrate a pattern of disregard for both workers’ rights and proper democratic processes.

“When judicial independence is undermined, it affects every worker’s ability to seek fair treatment and protection.

“This goes to the heart of separation of powers – an independent judiciary and basic standards of democratic accountability for cabinet ministers. How can these comments remain on the public record while she remains a Cabinet Minister?”

With Parliament sitting this week, the PSA is calling for answers to critical questions:

Did the Attorney General speak to Minister Van Velden before she told media she stood by her comments?
Why has David Seymour left his endorsement of these comments on LinkedIn after the Attorney General’s warning?
Will the National Party reconsider giving ACT the Workplace Relations portfolio and take leadership to halt current plans to gut personal grievance protections?

“New Zealand workers deserve a government that respects both their rights and the constitutional principles that protect those rights,” said Fitzsimons. “17 days of silence is 17 days too long. It’s time for accountability.”

Previous statement

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Advocacy – International Literacy Day – 8 September: A Call for Justice in Palestine

LiveNews Publisher

September 8, 2025

Source: Palestine Forum of New Zealand

Every year on 8 September, the world observes International Literacy Day, a reminder of the power of education to break cycles of poverty, open opportunities, and build just, peaceful societies. Literacy is not only about the ability to read and write, but also about dignity, empowerment, and the right to a future.

For Palestinians, however, this right is under constant threat. Decades of occupation, siege, and violence have devastated schools, universities, and libraries. In Gaza, entire educational institutions have been reduced to rubble. Teachers and students have been displaced, arrested, and even killed. What should be safe spaces for learning have been transformed into places of mourning.

Despite these hardships, the Palestinian people have always valued education as a form of resistance and resilience. Palestinian literacy rates remain among the highest in the Arab world, a testament to their deep commitment to knowledge and the belief that education is a pathway to freedom. Parents still encourage their children to read, to study, and to dream, even under bombardment. Books are shared, lessons continue in tents and ruins, and stories are passed down as acts of survival.

On this International Literacy Day, we must not only celebrate the global progress in education but also recognize the injustice faced by millions of Palestinian children who are denied their basic right to learn. Literacy should never be a privilege; it is a human right.

To stand in solidarity with Palestine on this day is to affirm that every child deserves a classroom, every teacher deserves safety, and every community deserves the chance to learn and thrive without fear.

Education is resistance. Literacy is freedom. Palestine deserves both.

Palestine Forum of New Zealand

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Investments Sector – NZ SUPER FUND BEATS PERFORMANCE BENCHMARKS TO CONTINUE RUN OF STRONG RESULTS

LiveNews Publisher

September 8, 2025

Source: New Zealand Superannuation Fund

The New Zealand Superannuation Fund has beaten its key performance benchmarks, generating a pre-tax return of 11.84 percent after costs for the year ended 30 June 2025.

Total fund size was up $8.4 billion from a year earlier, ending the 2025 financial year at $85.1 billion.

Jo Townsend, CEO of fund manager the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation, said that while much of the result was down to the continuing strength of global equity markets, the Guardians’ active investment strategies had also had a positive impact on the Fund’s performance.

“Two numbers are of particular importance to us,” Ms Townsend said.

“The first is net return, or the return over and above the government’s cost of capital.

“For the past year, the 90-Day Treasury bill rate was 4.61 percent, making our net return 7.24 percent – to put it another way, maintaining the Fund this year has made the Crown $5.5 billion better off,” said Ms Townsend.

Ms Townsend said the Fund’s other key benchmark was value add, which expresses how successful the Guardians’ active investment strategies have been.

“We derive that by comparing our Actual Returns with the benchmark returns generated by our Reference Portfolio, which is a notional, passively-managed portfolio of bonds and shares that we believe would meet our mandate,” Ms Townsend said.

“For FY25, our value-added was 0.98 percent. In other words, we added $745 million to the earnings we would have achieved by following a passive, index-tracking strategy.”

Ms Townsend said that while short-term results were a useful check on the portfolio, the Guardians’ mandate and purpose – Sustainable Investment Delivering Strong Returns for All New Zealanders – meant the Fund’s long-term results told a more important story.

“Over the past 20 years, we have consistently outperformed our long-run expectations, generating an average annual return of 9.92%,” Ms Townsend said.

“Certainly, part of that is down to some well-thought-out and well-implemented active investment strategies: during that time, those strategies have generated close on $20 billion more than a passive strategy with the same level of market risk would have returned.

“However, we must also recognise that much of the Fund’s success is due to the exceptionally strong performance of global markets over the past 20 years – despite two once-in-a-generation crises in the Global Financial Crisis and COVID-19.”

Earlier this year, international sovereign wealth fund experts GlobalSWF named the Super Fund the world’s best-performing sovereign wealth fund over the past 10 and 20 years.

Ms Townsend said while it was satisfying to have the Fund’s results recognised internationally, it was important to remember that different funds operated in different contexts.

“Over the last 20 years our long term investment horizon has allowed us to pursue growth-oriented investment strategies through market ups and downs and to take advantage of short-term volatility and uncertainty,” Ms Townsend said.

Ms Townsend said the clarity of the Guardians’ mandate was also a significant advantage for the NZ Super Fund.

“We operate with a clear legislative mandate and independence from the government of the day, which allows us to remain focused on the long term and make investment decisions on a purely commercial basis. That has been central to the success we have had.”

Fund Performance as at 30 June 2025 (unaudited)
Totals may not equal the sum of underlying components due to rounding. Returns for periods longer than one year are annualised. Table excludes provisions for New Zealand tax.

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Northland News – Northland Tsunami Siren Testing Set for Start of Daylight Saving

LiveNews Publisher

September 8, 2025

Source: Northland Regional Council

Northland’s six-monthly outdoor tsunami siren test will take place at 10 am on Sunday, 28 September, coinciding with the start of daylight saving.

The recently upgraded network of more than 90 outdoor sirens is tested twice a year to ensure it remains ready to alert communities in the event of a tsunami.

While it’s hoped such an emergency never occurs, regular testing helps ensure the system can respond effectively if needed and raises awareness of Northland’s tsunami risk.

During the test, sirens will sound for around two minutes, emitting the familiar siren tone followed by a voice message: “Test only, test only. This is a test of the Northland tsunami siren network; no action is required.”

While the indoor siren network will not be activated during this test, residents with indoor sirens are encouraged to manually check their devices by pressing the test button, similar to testing a smoke alarm.

The old model sirens will not be tested and are scheduled for progressive removal following this test, provided no significant issues are identified.

Northland Civil Defence Emergency Management Group spokesperson Zach Woods says community feedback remains a vital part of the testing process.

“We received valuable feedback during the April test which helped us fine-tune this upcoming one. We’ve made adjustments to ensure the sirens have time to complete their full test cycle and properly receive the activation signal.”

Technicians have inspected and resolved issues with sirens identified during the previous test, and the extended test duration will help confirm that all systems are functioning as expected.

Residents can provide feedback on the day via forms available on the Northland Regional Council website and the Civil Defence Northland Facebook page.

“Could you hear it? Was the message clear? Let us know.”

Woods also reminds Northlanders of the importance of recognising natural tsunami warning signs, especially in coastal areas where local-source tsunamis may arrive before any official alert.

“If you feel a strong earthquake that’s hard to stand in, one that lasts longer than a minute, or notice unusual sea behaviour, such as a sudden rise or fall or strange noises, don’t wait for an official warning, move inland or to higher ground immediately.”

Northland’s outdoor tsunami sirens are funded and owned by the region’s four councils (Far North District, Whangarei District, Kaipara District, and Northland Regional Council).

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Rental Market – National rental price hits lowest since 2023; regional markets buck the trend – RealEstate.co.nz

LiveNews Publisher

September 8, 2025

Source: RealEstate.co.nz

National average rental price drops to $628, the lowest since September 2023
Southland records all-time high average rental price of $509 per week
West Coast bucks national trend with 11.2% average rental price increase

Latest data from realestate.co.nz reveals some subtle and not so subtle rental price increases in the regions, despite New Zealand’s average weekly rental price falling 3.0% from $648/week in August 2024 to $628/week in August 2025.

Meanwhile, Southland’s average weekly rent hit an all-time high of $509/week (August 2025), up 9.2% from $466/week this time last year.

The West Coast also bucked the national trend, with average rental prices up 11.2% on August last year.

Sarah Wood, CEO of realestate.co.nz, says the data shows how localised the rental market can be.

“While the national trend suggests a softening in rental prices, Southland and the West Coast are clear reminders that the market doesn’t move in unison. Local supply and demand pressures are driving different outcomes across the regions.”

Rent in the city: major centres record declining rental prices

All of New Zealand’s major urban centres recorded a decline in average rental prices when compared to 12 months ago. Wellington experienced the largest year-on-year decline, down 11.8%, followed by Otago (down 3.9%), Auckland (down 2.3%), Canterbury (down 2.1%), and Waikato (down 0.6%).

“These drops may reflect increased rental supply in the cities or tenants negotiating more favourable lease terms, but it’s also likely linked to affordability pressures amid broader economic challenges,” says Wood.

New listings surge in key regions

Nationally, new rental listings rose 16.0% year-on-year, reaching 6,700 in August 2025 compared to 5,775 a year earlier.

Wellington led the charge with a 105.8% increase, more than doubling the number of rental properties newly listed in the capital – from 274 listings in August 2024 to 564 in August 2025. In addition to Wellington, three other regions, Wairarapa (97.1%), Gisborne (82.4%), and Hawke’s Bay (69.2%) all recorded increases exceeding 60%.

Down south, Canterbury also reported a strong surge in listings, with 917 properties listed in August 2025, a 29.0% increase on August last year.

Wood says the increase may signal rising confidence among landlords or a shift in property use. “We may be seeing the impact of properties returning from short-term rentals, or landlords choosing to re-enter the long-term rental market as economic conditions evolve.”

Understanding your region is more important than ever

As the rental market becomes more varied across regions, Wood encourages renters and landlords to lean on local knowledge.

“Whether you’re renewing a lease, looking for a new tenant, or trying to understand market value, these regional insights are more important than ever. Generalised national trends don’t always reflect the reality on the ground.”

About realestate.co.nz

We’ve been helping people buy, sell, or rent property since 1996. Established before Google, realestate.co.nz is New Zealand’s longest-standing property website and the official website of the real estate industry.

Dedicated only to property, our mission is to empower people with a property search tool they can use to find the life they want to live. With residential, lifestyle, rural and commercial property listings, realestate.co.nz is the place to start for those looking to buy or sell property.

Whatever life you’re searching for, it all starts here.

Want more property insights?

Market insights: Search by suburb to see median sale prices, popular property types and trends over time.
Sold properties: Switch your search to sold to see the latest sale prices and an estimated value in the current market.

Glossary of terms:

The average weekly rental rate is an indication of current market sentiment. It is calculated by taking the asking rental rate of every residential property listed during that month and dividing it by the total number of rental properties. The average is a truncated mean.

New listings are a record of all the new residential dwellings listed for rent on realestate.co.nz for the relevant calendar month. Listings on the site include rental properties listed by Property Managers and private landlords and provide a representative view of the New Zealand rental property market.

Stock is the total number of residential dwellings that are for rent on realestate.co.nz on the penultimate day of the month.

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