Source: New Zealand Police (District News)
State Highway 1/Bridge Street, Rakaia is blocked at the intersection with Elizabeth Ave following a crash.
The two-vehicle crash was reported just before 10:30am.
Three people have been moderately injured.
Motorists are advised to avoid the area and expect delays.
Diversions are in place.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
ASB has today announced decreases to some of its most popular fixed home lending rates for the second time in a fortnight, with market-leading rates on 1-year, 18-month and 2-year terms. ASB’s 2-year term falls 20 basis points to 5.29%, with its 1-year and 18-month terms at 5.54% and 5.34% respectively from today.
ASB’s Tribe Lead, Lend & Protect David Jackson says, “We’ve reduced our fixed mortgage rates 11 times since July last year, and we’re committed to doing everything we can to support our homeowners and Kiwi looking to buy.”
ASB has also reduced three of its term deposit rates by between 5 and 10 basis points.
All rate adjustments are effective immediately for new and current customers.
|
Fixed home lending term |
Previous rate |
New rate |
Rate decrease |
|
1-year |
5.59% |
5.54% |
– 5 bps |
|
18-month |
5.39% |
5.34% |
– 5 bps |
|
2-year |
5.49% |
5.29% |
– 20 bps |
Consumer NZ finds two insurers have topped the list for customer satisfaction across the insurance trifecta – car, house and contents.
Results from Consumer’s annual insurance satisfaction survey found MAS and FMG were rated highly by their customers, both earning Consumer’s People’s Choice award.
“This is the eighth consecutive year FMG has received the accolade, and customers have voted MAS for People’s Choice for nine consecutive years,” says Jon Duffy, Consumer NZ chief executive.
“Winning People’s Choice is no small feat. The fact these two providers have won People’s Choice across multiple insurance categories reflects their continued focus on customer satisfaction.”
The best
MAS and FMG are the top-rated insurers for house, car and contents insurance. Customers praise their value for money, easy-to-understand policy documents and products tailored to customers’ needs.
MAS had the highest overall satisfaction rating for house insurance at 76%, while FMG ranked highest for contents insurance at 78%. For car insurance, MAS and FMG also took out the top spots, with 81% and 79% respectively.
Duffy emphasises the importance of choosing an insurer that puts customers first.
“New Zealanders should expect their insurer to get the basics right – good communication and customer support – especially now, with insurers needing to update policies to comply with upcoming law changes.”
Consumer’s Insurance Satisfaction Survey found that while most banks scored below average for house and contents insurance, they generally perform better in travel insurance.
“Some banks scored higher for travel insurance, likely due to it being offered free through some credit cards.
“In today’s economy, value for money is a key factor in customer satisfaction.”
The worst
Big brands State and AMI (both owned by IAG New Zealand Ltd) scored below average for house and contents insurance, with significantly lower-than-average ratings for value for money, communication, customer support and tailored advice.
“It’s disappointing to see major insurers fall short of the industry average. We’d like to see these big names use their market share to improve customer satisfaction.”
Banks also underperformed when it came to car insurance.
“Four banks – ANZ, BNZ, Westpac and ASB – received below average ratings, with ASB at the very bottom of the pile.”
How to save on insurance
Consumer’s research1 shows that concerns about insurance costs have risen more than any other household expense over the past 2 years, as premiums continue to outstrip inflation. Duffy encourages consumers to regularly review their insurance policies to ensure they’re getting the best value.
“If you’re parking your car in a garage instead of the street – update your policy. We’ve found that switching providers could save you as much as $670 per year in our car insurance survey (ref. https://consumernz.cmail19.com/t/i-l-fiihdx-ijjdkdttjk-j/ ).
“Adjusting your sum insured or excess are simple ways to lower those premiums,” he adds.
Consumer members can compare quotes for health, life, travel, house, contents and car insurance, as well as access Consumer’s independent insurance buying guide at consumer.org.nz.
Notes
1 Consumer NZ’s Insurance Satisfaction Survey was conducted online in October 2024, with 6,415 respondents, including Consumer NZ members, supporters and a nationally representative sample of over 1,500 New Zealanders.
Satisfaction is based on the proportion of respondents who rated their experience 8 to 10 out of 10, indicating they were “very satisfied”.
Learn more about Consumer’s People’s Choice award: https://consumernz.cmail19.com/t/i-l-fiihdx-ijjdkdttjk-i/
1 Insurance cost concerns have increased the most over the past 2 years, increasing from 13% to 27% of people listing it as a top-three concern.
Source: New Zealand Police (District News)
Police are advising motorists that State Highway 1 is currently blocked near Topuni.
At around 10.15am a truck rolled, blocking lanes in both directions near the intersections with Schiska and Otioro roads.
There are currently no reports of any injuries from the scene.
Motorists are advised that diversions will be put in place for both northbound and southbound traffic.
Expect delays on your travels while the scene is cleared.
ENDS.
Jarred Williamson/NZ Police
Source: New Zealand Government
Associate Minister of Education, David Seymour, says that today is a great day for educational achievement in New Zealand. From today the first charter schools will begin teaching.
“As of today, the first lessons at Mastery Schools New Zealand – Arapaki, Te Rito, Te Kura Taiao and Ecole Francaise Internationale Auckland are underway. This is another significant step in the Government’s efforts to lift educational achievement in New Zealand,” says Mr Seymour.
“The next seven days will see the remaining four charter schools set to open at the start of Term 1 2025 begin teaching.
TIPENE will open on Thursday 6 February, The BUSY School will open on Friday 7 February, North West Creative Arts College and Christchurch North College will both open on Monday 10 February.
“Charter schools provide educators with greater autonomy and create diversity in New Zealand’s education system. They have been proven to raise overall educational achievement, especially for students who are underachieving or disengaged from the standard system,” says Mr Seymour.
“Every child deserves an education that gives them the opportunity to learn and grow in ways which are more specific to their needs. The seven charter schools which open over the next week are all fantastic examples of schools that give families and educators more meaningful educational choice and support.
“I want to thank the Charter School Agency and independent Authorisation Board for the work they have done to progress this important work. They oversaw a robust and fair process with 78 applications in the first round.
“This is just the beginning. I hope to see many more new charter schools opening, and state and state-integrated schools converting to become charter schools.
“The huge demand to open charter schools not only highlights the need, but also the commitment of people to provide varied educational opportunities for young New Zealanders to maximise educational outcomes. Positive education outcomes can lead to better health, higher incomes, better job stability and greater participation within communities. These are opportunities that every student deserves.”
General practice owners, pleased the new Health Minister identifies access to primary healthcare as a top priority, have put forward their views on how Minister Brown could reduce waiting times to see a doctor.
In a Briefing to the Incoming Minister, the General Practice Owners Association focuses on three key actions critical to reducing waiting times.
GenPro Chair Dr Angus Chambers says doctors are on the same page as the Minister as every day they see the frustration of patients not able to make appointments in a timely way or register with their local GP.
Dr Chambers said improving access was more than just about funding, though that’s an important part of the solution in the short term.
“The new Health Minister needs to recognise the importance of primary healthcare and respond to its urgent need for financial support so it can deliver the essential services Kiwis need,” Dr Chambers says.
“Being enrolled with a GP means people are less likely to attend an emergency department, and it also reduces per-patient costs on our health system.
“Investment in hands-on general practice will directly support the government’s aim of reducing waiting times at emergency departments. No other investment has any evidence of supporting the achievement of this target,” Dr Chambers says.
Greater support right now for primary healthcare is critical. General practice has been degraded over two decades. Funding hasn’t kept pace with increasing costs, health needs are more complex, and the ability of general practices to raise revenue is restricted by fees controls. For all these reasons, general practice is in a precarious financial position, the BIM says.
GenPro’s three key areas to reducing waiting times are:
Better funding for primary health care services
Fair pay for family doctor teams
Increasing the family doctor workforce
While all are important, funding is a critical issue because it’s created or exacerbated other problems, such as staff shortages, crowded emergency departments, and reduced services as general practices restrict enrolments or exit after-hours care.
“Minister Brown has a lot to read to prepare for his new role, but GenPro’s briefing must be near the top of the pile. General practice is in a parlous state and his influence on funding is desperately needed so we can arrest the decline in primary healthcare, reduce waiting lists, and give communities the healthcare they need and deserve,” Dr Chambers says.
GenPro members are owners and providers of general practices and urgent care centres throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. For more information visit www.genpro.org.nz
GenPro-Briefing-to-Minister (ref. https://genpro.org.nz/assets/Uploads/PDFs/250123-GenPro-Briefing-to-Minister.pdf )
