Fire Safety – Fire restrictions eased for Wairarapa’s southern coast

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February 3, 2025

Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand

Fire and Emergency New Zealand has revoked the restrictions on lighting outdoor fires in Wairarapa’s southern coastal area until further notice.

From 8am Monday 3 February, all of Wairarapa will be in an open fire season, which means people can light outdoor fires without a permit approved by Fire and Emergency.

Wellington District Manager Brett Lockyer says that wetter, less windy conditions have slowed the rapid drying of vegetation such as pasture grasses, coastal dune grasses, gorse, scrub, and pine forests.

“The fire risk has come back down because any fires that get started or escape controlled burns will be slower-moving and easier to control,” he says.

“While you don’t need fire permits in an open season, we do still ask people to take sensible precautions when lighting fires.

“There’s excellent fire safety advice at checkitsalright.nz, which will also tell you if it’s safe to have an outdoor fire at your location.

“We’re really pleased to report that there haven’t been any large fires in Wairarapa so far this summer, and this is down to people being fire smart and doing the right thing.”

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Federated Farmers calls for doubling of QEII Trust funding

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February 3, 2025

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Source: Federated Farmers

Federated Farmers is calling on the Government to double its funding for the QEII National Trust to ensure it can continue to meet demand from farmers.

“The QEII Trust has a stellar track record of working with landowners to permanently protect special areas of bush, wetland and biodiversity,” Federated Farmers vice president Colin Hurst says.

“It’s an utter disgrace that QEII’s base government funding has remained unchanged at $4.3 million for a decade, despite rising demand for its help.

“In real terms, that’s a huge cut in funding.”

The QEII National Trust was established in 1977, with Federated Farmers dairy chair (the late) Gordon Stephenson a key instigator.

Its core function is to encourage protection of natural and cultural features on private land. The trust partners with landowners who voluntarily protect their land without selling or donating it.

Covenants ensure threatened species and special areas of bush and wetland are protected for future generations, in perpetuity. Subsequent landowners can’t alter this protection.

Covenants now cover 187,774 hectares – the vast majority on farms. That is an area of land over double the size of Tongariro National Park.

The QEII Trust celebrated its 4000 th covenant in 2014/15. Now, nearly 10 years later, it has 5,200 covenants to be managed and monitored – a 28% increase in demand, with no change in government base funding.

For comparison, the Department of Conservation’s funding went from $470m to $718m over that same 10-year period.

“With that big hike in the amount of covenanted land, there is clearly huge buy-in from farmers,” Hurst says.

“Voluntary initiatives like the QEII Trust have huge support in rural communities and are a far better approach than heavy-handed and impractical SNA rules.”

The trust leverages outside funding and bequests, and works with district and regional councils. In 2021 it also secured $8m of Jobs for Nature funding, spread over four years.

But that runs out in June this year and the trust is warning it will have to scale back the number of new covenants it can support.

A 2017 study by Waikato University’s Institute for Business Research found that covenanting landowners together spend an estimated $25 million of their own money every year to protect native species and special areas in their QEII covenants

Loss of potential income from other alternative uses of land under covenant was estimated to be between $443-$638 million between 1977 and 2017.

Farmers and other landowners pitch in with environmentalists, volunteers and council staff to carry out planting, pest control, fencing and other work on covenanted sites.

“It represents farmer commitment, and great bang for buck, on conservation.

“The Government needs to step up its contribution to keep up the pace,” Hurst says.

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SEYMOUR’S SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAMME A FAILURE DAY ONE – Sir Ray Avery GNZM

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February 3, 2025

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Source: The Kaizen Group – Sir Ray Avery GNZM

OPINION PIECE – Sir Ray says “It was actually day two when David Seymour’s lunches arrived at schools one hour after lunchtime and principals described it as looking like dog food and they could not even give it away to food banks and it was dumped.”

The company who David Seymour awarded the $85 million School lunch programme contract to is the British-based multinational Compass Group, who lost one-third of their school contracts in the original school lunch programme due to poor quality in food and service.

Compass has been severely criticised for its catering supply in NZ hospitals.

Dr Kelly Garton, spokesperson for The Health Coalition Aotearoa (HCA), has significant concerns about the quality, nutritional standards and quality controls for the new school lunches programme.

“Cabinet has given a $85 million contract to a group led by a company that just months ago was forced to do a performance management plan due to poor quality and service,” said Dr Kelly Garton.

“Why should New Zealanders have confidence this model will deliver the nutrition and quality growing bodies and minds need?” Garton said.

Sir Ray Avery says he has faced a lot of critics on social media because he stated: “The Government doesn’t have any meaningful Governmental Nutritional Standards for School Lunches and this seemed to polarise New Zealanders some who endorsed the New School Lunch initiative and others though that this was the parents’ responsibility.

“Both sides of the political system seem to be focused on the process rather than outcomes,” said Sir Ray. “The real issue is what is the desired outcome? It’s trying to close the gap on equality by providing a nutritious meal (that gets eaten) by children who through no fault of their own don’t have the ‘luxury’ of packing one from home so they can focus at school and achieve better educational results and better long-term physical and mental health outcomes.

“Not $3 meals produced by a dodgy company with a terrible track record.”

David Seymour gave a $85-million-dollar contract to a company that day two “due to problems with their ovens were one hour late for lunchtime” and principals described it as $3 dog food and Seymour said “This is just program teething problems”.

Sir Ray is calling out Seymour for awarding the school lunch programme to a company that is well known for awful, sub-standard food in the hospital setting and with many many complaints from schools in the previous School lunch programme.

Sir Ray said “I can only presume his decision was based on price so Seymour could claim to have saved millions of dollars with respect to the previous School lunch programme costing $8 per serve but Seymour has wasted $85 million dollars because you can’t fix Compass quality and service problems and our kids will still go hungry because Seymour did not provide them something edible to eat.”

Sir Ray says, “Because our Tamariki are such a valuable asset for the future of New Zealand I think Seymour should resign because he has been negligent in appointing a company known for its poor performance with respect to the quality of the food it provides and any competent Minister would have done the necessary due diligence to ensure our Tamariki have the best possible start in life.”

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Palestine Forum of New Zealand Urges Government to Join the Hague Group in Support of Palestine

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February 3, 2025

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Source: Palestine Forum of New Zealand

The Palestine Forum of New Zealand calls on the New Zealand government to join the newly formed Hague Group, a coalition of nine nations committed to defending Palestinian rights and holding Israel accountable for its violations of international law.

The Hague Group—comprising South Africa, Malaysia, Namibia, Colombia, Bolivia, Chile, Senegal, Honduras, and Belize—has pledged to support the International Criminal Court (ICC) and International Court of Justice (ICJ) in prosecuting Israeli officials and enforcing legal measures against ongoing crimes in Palestine.

“New Zealand must take a stand for justice and align with nations committed to real action against Israeli war crimes,” said [Spokesperson’s Name]. The Forum urges Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters to demonstrate New Zealand’s commitment to human rights by joining this initiative.

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Property Market – Sellers hit 2025 hard, with new listings at levels not seen in a decade

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February 3, 2025

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Source: RealEstate.co.nz

New listings back at levels not seen during January since 2015
National stock levels up 18.9% year-on-year, close to 2015 levels
Auckland stock levels reach 13-year January high

Coined ‘the perfect market’ by realestate.co.nz in November, the rare stability of high stock levels and stable prices has carried over to 2025. But with confidence on the rise and interest rates declining, the question everyone’s asking is, when will the market change?

The latest data from realestate.co.nz shows that after a record low new listings for any December, sellers jumped into the market in January, with new listings reaching levels not seen during January since 2015. Stock levels were also high last month—closer to levels last seen in January 2015—while average asking prices remained relatively stable year-on-year.

Sarah Wood, CEO of realestate.co.nz, said the market continues to offer strong opportunities for those wanting to buy and sell:

“Lots of choice, combined with relative price stability, offers certainty for both buyers and sellers. And as interest rates decline, the market may become more appealing for those on the sidelines.”

“When things will change is anyone’s guess. And right now, we still have high stock levels to cycle through, so it is unlikely that we will see a frantic rebound. But the market is cyclical, and eventually, we will see a shift.”

New listings return to levels not seen during January since 2015

Nearly 9,000 new listings came onto the market during January, a significant increase from December’s record-low new listing figures. Up 21.2% year-on-year, the data suggests sellers dove headfirst into 2025.

Wood said that although it is typical to see more properties come to market in January, this year’s numbers are particularly noteworthy:

“The country seems to take a collective holiday during January, and over the past few years, sellers have appeared to do the same. This is the first time new listings have been around 9,000 in the month of January since 2015.”

Year-on-year, the largest increases in new listings were in West Coast (up 100.0% to 70 listings), Otago (up 52.4% to 352 new listings), and Gisborne (up 45.7% to 51 new listings).

Auckland hits 13-year stock high

Stock levels remained high during January, up 18.9% nationally year-on-year to 32,412 properties. All 19 regions saw stock levels increase compared to January 2024. Most notably, 11,465 properties were available for sale in Auckland last month—the highest January level since 2012.

“We haven’t seen this level of housing stock in Auckland for more than a decade,” said Wood. “There could be a window of opportunity for those looking for property in the region.”

Average asking prices hold steady as 2025 begins

The national average asking price has hovered between $840,000 and $890,000 for two years, offering the stability buyers crave and the predictability sellers need. The start of 2025 saw this trend continue, with January’s national average asking price at $868,969, down a modest 1.3% year-on-year. The biggest increase was in West Coast, up 6.3% year-on-year to $505,151, while Coromandel saw the biggest decline, down 20.3% year-on-year to $1,004,312.

Four regions – Auckland, Hawke’s Bay, Nelson & Bays, and Southland – saw prices grow both month-on-month and year-on-year, while Coromandel, Waikato, Wairarapa, and Wellington recorded declines over the same periods.

“With interest rates easing and plenty of properties to choose from, the strong start to 2025 creates prime opportunity for those ready to make their move,” concluded Wood.

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 last 12 months of sales and prices.
Valuations: Get a gauge on property prices by browsing sold residential properties, with the latest sale prices and an estimated value in the current market.

Glossary of terms:

Average asking price (AAP) is neither a valuation nor the sale price. It is an indication of current market sentiment. Statistically, asking prices tend to correlate closely with the sales prices recorded in future months when those properties are sold. As it looks at different data, average asking prices may differ from recorded sales data released simultaneously.

New listings are a record of all the new residential dwellings listed for sale on realestate.co.nz for the relevant calendar month. The site reflects 97% of all properties listed through licensed real estate agents and major developers in New Zealand. This description gives a representative view of the New Zealand property market.

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

Rate of sale is a measure of how long it would take, theoretically, to sell the current stock at current average rates of sale if no new properties were to be listed for sale. It provides a measure of the rate of turnover in the market.

Seasonal adjustment is a method realestate.co.nz uses to represent better the core underlying trend of the property market in New Zealand. This is done using methodology from the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research.

Truncated mean is the method realestate.co.nz uses to supply statistically relevant asking prices. The top and bottom 10% of listings in each area are removed before the average is calculated to prevent exceptional listings from providing false impressions.

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Activist News – PSNA tells Foreign Minister Winston Peters to ignore ‘Trump’s bully’ on Israeli soldiers holidaying here

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February 3, 2025

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Source: Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa

The Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa is telling Foreign Minister Winston Peters to ignore the bullying from pro-Israel Texas senator Ted Cruz and have the courage to stop welcoming Israel solders to New Zealand.

Winston Peters has claimed Israeli media stories that New Zealand has stopped Israeli military visiting New Zealand are false. Ted Cruz had quoted Israeli daily Ha’aretz in a tweet which says “It’s difficult to treat New Zealand as a normal ally within the American alliance system, when they denigrate and punish Israeli citizens for defending themselves.”

PSNA chair John Minto says Peters should not buckle to a Trump-supporting senator who fully backs Israeli genocide.

“Ted Cruz believes Israel should continue defending land it has stolen from Palestinians. He supports every Israeli war crime. New Zealand must be different.

Last September New Zealand voted against the US at the United Nations where we sided with the majority of humanity to give Israel a year to fully get out of the Occupied Palestinian Territory.”

“So the New Zealand government has a completely different policy position to the US. That should be reflected in the actions of the New Zealand government. We must have an immigration ban on Israeli soldiers who have served in the Israeli military since October 2023 as well as a ban on any Israeli who lives in an illegal Israeli settlement on occupied Palestinian land.”

Minto says it is not clear what the current immigration rules are for different entry categories, but it does seem that some longer stay Israeli applicants are required to declare they have not committed human rights violations before they are allowed in.

“That’s what the Australians are doing. It appears ineffective at preventing Israeli troops having ‘genocide holidays’ in Australia – but it’s a start. We’d like to see a broader, effective, and watertight ban on Israeli troops coming here.”

“Instead of bowing to US pressure New Zealand should be joining the Hague group of countries, as proposed by the Palestine Forum of New Zealand, to take decisive action to prevent and punish Israeli war crimes.”

John Minto

National Chair

Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa

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Education – New charter schools open doors to first students

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February 3, 2025

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Source: Charter School Agency

Three of the first seven new charter schools | kura hourua open their doors today, marking a huge milestone for education in New Zealand, says Charter School Agency Chief Executive, Jane Lee.

Mastery Schools New Zealand – Arapaki (Christchurch), L’École Française Internationale (Auckland) and Te Rito, Te Kura Taiao (Doubtless Bay) will all welcome their first students with a range of celebrations.

Mastery Schools New Zealand – Arapaki, the first new charter school to be announced last November, will greet its first 60 students with a mihi whakatau including whānau, supporters, Charter School Agency, government and Authorisation Board representatives, as well as founders of Mastery Schools Australia.

L’École Française Internationale will celebrate with students and families by sharing a traditional French breakfast which coincides with la chandeleur (pancake day) in France while Te Rito, Te Kura Taiao will also have a mihi whakatau to welcome its first cohort, with plans for a larger opening celebration in a few weeks.

“Today is a huge day for education. I welcome these schools to the charter school network and applaud the sponsors and education leaders for their vision and strategic approach to lifting student outcomes,” says Ms Lee.

“The introduction of more diverse learning options in our communities opens more choice for families and students and offers a new start for children who have been disengaged or who will benefit from a different approach.

“Charter schools will help children attain attendance and achievement levels and the real value will be realised through them growing in confidence, reaching their potential and ultimately contributing to their communities,” says Ms Lee.

The opening of Mastery Schools New Zealand – Arapaki was particularly significant for the school’s sponsors, Dave and Jo Jessep, whose inspiration to open a charter school stemmed from supporting their daughter’s learning needs.

The Mastery Schools programme is evidence based and focuses on learners who are disengaged from mainstream schools. Each class has a core teacher with three teaching assistants.

Four other new charter schools are scheduled to open in the coming week.

TIPENE, the South Auckland Māori boys boarding school, will welcome its first cohort and whānau with a pōwhiri on 6 February, Waitangi Day, which Associate Minister for Education, David Seymour, will speak at following his attendance at Waitangi.

The BUSY School New Zealand (central Auckland) opens on 7 February and both North West College (Auckland) and Christchurch North College start their terms on 10 February.

More new charter schools which could open later this year or early 2026 will be announced in the coming weeks. The Charter School Agency is also preparing to start an expression of interest process for existing state schools which are interested in becoming charter schools and a new round of applications for sponsors to open new charter schools.

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Tirau Road/SH1 blocked

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February 3, 2025

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Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

Tirau Road/State Highway 1 is currently blocked near Fergusson Gully Road due to a truck breakdown.

The northbound lanes will be blocked for some time.

No injuries have been reported.

Diversions are in place and motorists are advised to expect delays.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

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Traffic impacted by crash, Waterloo Quay, Wellington

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February 3, 2025

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Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

Motorists heading into the Wellington CBD are asked to avoid Waterloo Quay following a crash.

The crash was reported to Police at 8.45am and appears to involve several vehicles.

There are currently no reports of injuries however traffic is being significantly impacted.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre.

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Rangiora boom beckons top accounting firm

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February 3, 2025

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Source: Press Release Service – New Zealand

Leading South Island chartered accountancy firm Ashton Wheelans has opened a new office in Rangiora.

The firm has moved its operation from Kaiapoi to 190 High Street, Rangiora, to better service the accounting and business consultancy requirements of the growing Rangiora business community. It is the fourth South Island location for Ashton Wheelans, which also has offices in Christchurch, Greymouth and Wānaka.

Ashton Wheelans partner Andrew Keys – who is based in the new Rangiora office – says the strategic move enables local businesses to receive top-level business advisory and accounting services without travelling to Christchurch.

“Rangiora is a really exciting location for our new office – the town is growing at a phenomenal rate and business is thriving,” he says. “There is no longer the need for local business owners to travel into the Christchurch CBD for professional services. However, we still felt there was a gap in the market for a larger accounting firm to support Rangiora locals with premium, full-service advice and expertise. We’re looking forward to filling that gap in specialist accountancy services, but without the premium pricing.”

Ashton Wheelans had been running a successful office in Kaiapoi for more than 50 years, however the exceptional economic growth of Rangiora in recent years was a contributing factor to the relocation. A large team will be based in the new future-focused office – Keys, along with a range of accounting specialists from graduates through to senior advisors, an auditor and a client finance manager.

Keys says the company specialises in a broad scope of detailed accounting services and business growth expertise, including essential services such as accounting, tax and auditing, and advice on acquisitions, startups, mentoring, restructuring or insolvency, succession and strategic planning.

“We tailor solutions to the needs of every business, and do it in a way that is personal and adds value to our clients,” says Keys. “We are accountants first and foremost, but we strive to help all our clients reach their goals and achieve success, whatever that means to them. We’re looking forward to becoming a trusted part of the Rangiora business community.”

Media Release on 3 February 2025

Media Contact
Ashton Wheelans Christchurch and Rangiora partner Andrew Keys
andrew.keys@ashtonwheelans.co.nz
027 464 6555
https://www.ashtonwheelans.co.nz/

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