Proposed bylaw changes won’t affect how cemeteries run

January 22, 2025

Source: Auckland Council

You can now have your say on proposed updates to Auckland Council’s Cemetery and Crematoria Bylaw. These changes follow a statutory review of the bylaw and will not impact the day-to-day running of Auckland’s public cemeteries.

Auckland Council looks after more than 50 cemeteries in Tāmaki Makaurau, including North Shore Memorial Park, Waikumete Cemetery and Manukau Memorial Gardens. Each offers a peaceful place to honour and remember loved ones, while catering to the customs and traditions of the diverse communities of Tāmaki Makaurau.

Councillor Josephine Bartley, chair of the Regulatory and Safety Committee explains a bylaw is one tool the council uses to help keep public cemeteries and crematoria safe and serving Aucklanders effectively.

“Our cemeteries are special places, and they deserve to be treated with care and respect. That’s why we have a bylaw in place and a dedicated, thoughtful team managing them,” she says.

The Cemeteries and Crematoria Bylaw sets out how our cemeteries operate on a daily basis, taking into consideration the cultural, physical and social needs of those who use them. It is supported by a code of practice.

Like all bylaws, there is a legal requirement to review it every few years to ensure it continues to work for Aucklanders.

Following our statutory review, council staff recommend keeping the rules we have now. This means there are no changes proposed to how Auckland’s cemeteries run on a day-to-day basis, and no change to the rules for Aucklanders.

However, the review found some duplicated and outdated information in the code of practice. To make the bylaw clearer and easier to understand, we propose to move most rules in the code of practice to the bylaw, so they are in one place.

These proposed changes will not impact the rules for Aucklanders, they will just tidy up the bylaw so it is clearer. Changes like this can only be made through a statutory review of the bylaw.

“Council staff carried out the legally required review of this bylaw in 2024 and found it to be working well. Therefore, we propose for the rules to stay the same,” says Cr Bartley.

“While the changes being proposed are administrative, we want to hear from Aucklanders whenever we make changes to our bylaws – no matter how small. It’s important these local rules work for our communities, and now is the perfect time to share your thoughts if this matters to you” she says.

You can have your say on the proposed changes to the Cemeteries and Crematoria Bylaw on the Have Your Say website. The consultation closes on Sunday 23 February.

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Annual inflation at 2.2 percent in December 2024 – Stats NZ media and information release – Consumers price index: December 2024 quarter

LiveNews Publisher

January 22, 2025

Source: Statistics New Zealand

Annual inflation at 2.2 percent in December 2024 – 22 January 2025 – New Zealand’s consumers price index (CPI) increased 2.2 percent in the December 2024 quarter, compared with the December 2023 quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ today.

The 2.2 percent annual increase follows a 2.2 percent annual increase in the September 2024 quarter.

“This is the second consecutive quarter that the annual inflation rate has been within the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s target band of 1 to 3 percent,” prices and deflators spokesperson Nicola Growden said.

Files:

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Working people will pay for static inflation

LiveNews Publisher

January 22, 2025

Source: Council of Trade Unions – CTU

Data released by Statistics New Zealand today showed that inflation remains unchanged at 2.2%, defying expectations of further declines, said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Economist Craig Renney.

“While inflation holding steady might sound like good news, the reality is that prices for the basics—like rent, energy, and insurance—are still rising. The removal of the Auckland Regional Fuel Tax helped ease petrol prices, but without that reduction, inflation could have gone even higher. Workers and families are still struggling with rising costs for everyday essentials,” said Renney.

“The recent drops in inflation have been helped by falls in the price of vehicle fuels – with the average price of 91 falling from $2.81 to $2.55. If we remove petrol from the CPI the overall inflation rose by 2.7%.

“Tradable inflation overall also turned, falling by less than last quarter. Tradeable inflation tends to lead the overall direction of inflation in the future”.

“Many working people aren’t feeling the benefits of lower inflation. Rental inflation was nearly twice general inflation at 4.2%, showing that landlord tax breaks aren’t leading to lower rental prices.

“While stable overall inflation is welcome, the prices for things that people can’t avoid are rising more quickly. Insurance prices rose by 11.2% annually. Local authority rates rose 12%. Household energy costs are rising by 5%. These are all eating into already tight household budgets.

“Last month the government agreed to increase the minimum wage by 1.5% in April. Inflation is currently at 2.2% and seems to have reached its floor. For workers on the minimum wage this looks increasingly like another year in which they will take real terms pay cuts. The Government needs to respond to this data by lifting the minimum wage in real terms,” said Renney.

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Drop in domestic inflation hailed

LiveNews Publisher

January 22, 2025

Source: New Zealand Government

Finance Minister Nicola Willis has hailed a drop in the domestic component of inflation, saying it increases the prospect of mortgage rate reductions and a lower cost of living for Kiwi households.

Stats NZ reported today that inflation was 2.2 per cent in the year to December, the second consecutive quarter that the annual rate has been within the Reserve Bank’s target band of 1-3 per cent.

“The domestic component of that inflation – non-tradables – declined from 4.9 per cent in the year to September to 4.5 per cent in the year to December.

“Decisions about the Official Cash Rate are a matter for the Reserve Bank but the decline in domestic inflation is good news for people with mortgages.

“Together with other recent economic data showing there is spare capacity in the economy, it suggests there is scope for further rate reductions in the coming months.

“It also shows the steps the Government has taken to reduce inflationary pressures by restoring discipline to public expenditure are working.

“Lower inflation and interest rates set the foundations for economic growth, and the investment, jobs and incomes it creates.

“The benefits of restoring discipline to public spending are starting to flow through to people’s bank accounts. Recent data published by the Reserve Bank shows the average interest rate paid on residential mortgages fell in November for the first time since September 2021.

“Further drops in coming months will reduce cost of living pressures on households, free up cash to be spent in local businesses and encourage investment and growth.”

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Cyanobacteria health warning lifted from Lake Rotoroa (Hamilton Lake)

LiveNews Publisher

January 22, 2025

Source: Waikato District Health Board

The public health warning issued for Lake Rotoroa (Hamilton Lake) in February 2024 has been lifted today by National Public Health Service (NPHS), after subsequent tests showed that cyanobacterial levels are below the warning level.

Lakes Waikare, and Whangape continue to have cyanobacterial health warnings in place, with an ‘extreme risk’ health warning at Lake Ngā Roto.

“People should avoid any activity in or near these lakes that could lead to skin contact with the affected water, or the water being swallowed,” says Medical Officer of Health Dr Richard Vipond.

“Toxins released by cyanobacteria can trigger asthma and hayfever symptoms, skin rashes, stomach upsets, and neurological effects such as tingling around the mouth, headaches, breathing difficulties and visual problems.”

The symptoms may not appear until sometime after contact with affected water.

“If you do come into contact with water at lakes with health warnings or where there were visible changes in water colour, shower and change your clothing as soon as possible afterwards, even if you do not have symptoms,” adds Dr Vipond.

“If you feel unwell after coming in contact with the lake you should seek health advice from your doctor or by calling Healthline on 0800 611 116. Please also report it to the NPHS Waikato office on (07) 838 2569.”

Scums formed by algal blooms are a particular risk because they contain a high level of toxins. If contact with scum does occur, skin should be rinsed clean and clothing changed as soon as possible.

“It’s particularly important for parents to keep an eye on children if you’re down at the water as these scums can form at the edge of the lake and children will sometimes play with them.”

Dog owners should prevent their dogs from drinking or swimming in the water, or eating algal bloom scum as dogs are particularly sensitive to cyanobacteria and could become seriously ill.

To check if recreational water spots near you are safe for swimming and playing in visit https://www.lawa.org.nz/explore-data/waikato-region/. Information is also available from Waikato Regional Council at https://www.waikatoregion.govt.nz/environment/water/algal-blooms/

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Property Market – A deep and prolonged downturn is still helping buyers – CoreLogic

LiveNews Publisher

January 22, 2025

Source: CoreLogic

The downturn in New Zealand’s property values has generally been deep and prolonged since 2021, giving buyers increased pricing power.

CoreLogic NZ’s January Housing Chart Pack shows property values nationally have fallen by nearly 18% from their post-COVID peak.

Roughly three years on from the post-COVID peak, the largest declines in values among the main centres have been seen in Wellington and Auckland, down by around 25% and 22% respectively. At the other end of the spectrum, Christchurch is down by ‘only’ 7%.

CoreLogic NZ Chief Property Economist Kelvin Davidson said it hasn’t been a surprise to see property values generally remain subdued, given plenty of challenging factors.

“In December, the national figure edged down by another 0.2%. That was the ninth fall in the past 10 months, with those drops initially reflecting high mortgage rates, but more recently the weakness of the labour market.”

Mr Davidson said while sales volumes have risen gently for around 18 months, they remain below normal and haven’t significantly impacted the stock of available listings on the market.

“Total listings on the market remain elevated, up around 25% compared to the five-year average, so buyers certainly have the pricing power.

“Main centres like Auckland, and Wellington in particular, have seen a strong rise in listings in December compared to the same time last year, which has softened price pressures in those regions for several months now.”

“It’s not great news for homeowners especially those that purchased around peak levels, but ultimately the downturn conditions are most favourable for recent buyers,” he added.

As for lending market activity, it continues to trend higher with borrowers moving away from longer-term loans.

“While affordability is still stretched, the majority of borrowers are now opting for floating rates or 6-12 month fixed terms,” he said.

Looking at the year ahead, Mr Davidson noted there are some supports for the market, but also challenges that buyers can anticipate.

“Lower mortgage rates will obviously be a boost for sales volumes and property values. But there are also debt to income ratio caps lurking on the horizon. DTIs aren’t binding yet, but they could become a much bigger consideration for some borrowers in the first half of the year.”

Highlights from the January 2025 Housing Chart Pack include:

New Zealand’s residential real estate market is worth a combined $1.62 trillion.
The CoreLogic Home Value Index shows property values across New Zealand edged down by another 0.2% in December. Over the three months to December, values nationally fell 0.3%, and over 2024 they dipped 3.9%, with the level now back down at a 17-month low.
Total listings on the market were 25,139 in December to be 25% up on the five-year average. Total listing counts on the West Coast and Northland are lower than last year, but a larger region such as Wellington has risen significantly, up nearly 30%.
Rental market conditions remained flat amid slowing net migration. The pace of growth has now dropped to lows not seen since 2022.
Gross rental yields now stand at 3.9%, which is the highest level since early 2016.
Around 66% of NZ’s existing mortgages by value are currently fixed but due to reprice onto a new mortgage rate over the next 12 months.
Inflation is back in the 1–3% target band, with the next OCR cut forecast for February.

Download and subscribe to the monthly CoreLogic Housing Chart Pack at corelogic.co.nz/news-research/reports/housing-chart-pack

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Fire Safety – Smoke alarm saves a life in Christchurch

LiveNews Publisher

January 22, 2025

Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand

A smoke alarm has saved a person’s life in a house fire in Christchurch in the early hours of Monday morning.

Fire and Emergency Specialist Fire Investigator Bruce Irvine says, “If that smoke alarm hadn’t been there, then it is very likely I would have been investigating a fatal fire.”

Fire and Emergency New Zealand crews were called to the fire in St Albans around 4.30am on Monday.

The sole occupant of the home was woken by their smoke alarm going off. It gave them sufficient time to escape their house and call 111 for assistance.

Three crews attended and extinguished the fire, which ended up being contained to one bedroom due to the door being closed to that room.

Specialist Fire Investigator Bruce Irvine determined the cause of the fire to be an electrical fault in a light fitting and says if the smoke alarm had not been installed and working correctly, the outcome could have been a lot worse for the occupant.

“Fortunately, due to having working smoke alarms, the person was alerted to the fire and able to escape,” he says.

“Even then, they still suffered from smoke inhalation and had to be taken to hospital for treatment before being released later on Monday”.

Fire and Emergency recommends installing a smoke alarm in every bedroom, hallway and living area. You may also choose to install a heat alarm in the kitchen, laundry, bathroom or garage.

You should press the test button every month to check it is still working correctly, and vacuum or dust your smoke alarms every six months to avoid false alarms.

Smoke alarms will alert you to a fire, but you also need to know how to get out of your house quickly when you may be scared or disorientated. Creating a three-step escape plan, and practising it regularly, will help you survive a house fire. You can get help creating one at www.escapemyhouse.co.nz.

Bruce Irvine says people should get electrical fittings and appliances checked if they are faulty.

“Please check all the electrical elements around your home, including appliances, power sockets and light fittings if you notice thing happening out of the ordinary.”

“If they are sparking or blowing bulbs, or not working as they should, disconnect them from the power supply and have them checked by a registered electrician.”

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Property Market – $115 billion in property listed: NZ property market sees $18 billion surge and nearly 19,000 more homes in 2024 – RealEstate.co.nz

LiveNews Publisher

January 22, 2025

Source: RealEstate.co.nz

22 January 2024 – Kiwis listed over $115 billion worth of residential property for sale in 20241, an $18.86 billion (19.4%) increase compared to 2023, according to the latest data from realestate.co.nz. The year saw more than 110,000 new residential property listings go onto the market, an increase of nearly 19,000 on the previous year, offering buyers significantly more choice.

“The influx of listings in 2024 provided more options for buyers, while the national average asking price remained remarkably consistent, dipping just 0.3% year-on-year,” says Vanessa Williams, spokesperson for realestate.co.nz. “This rare balance of supply and price stability created what we’ve called the ‘perfect market’—a standout year where buyers and sellers could make confident decisions in a stable environment.”

The capital leads listings climb

Every region in New Zealand experienced a rise in new listings in 2024. Wellington led the way, with 8,132 new listings coming onto the market, a 37.3% increase year-on-year. Wairarapa (up 26.5%), Hawke’s Bay (up 25.8%), Gisborne (up 24.1%), and Auckland (up 23.0%) also showed notable growth.

“Personal circumstances would have been a factor for many choosing to sell in 2024. But greater price stability across the motu likely boosted vendor confidence in some regions,” said Williams.

Price growth across South Island regions

Central Otago Lakes District, New Zealand’s most expensive region, led the country with 7.0% growth in average asking prices in 2024. Two of the country’s most affordable regions – the West Coast (up 5.0%) and Southland (up 4.9%) – followed closely behind, indicating strong buyer interest across different price points in the South Island market.

While average asking prices fell across 11 of New Zealand’s 19 regions year-on-year, these declines were modest, with Nelson & Bays (-3.7%), the Central North Island (-2.8%), and the Bay of Plenty (-2.4%) seeing the largest drops.

“It’s interesting to see this pocket of price growth down south, particularly across such diverse markets,” said Williams. “From the premium properties of Central Otago Lakes to the more affordable West Coast and Southland regions, the interest in the South Island suggests buyers are increasingly looking beyond the major centres for lifestyle opportunities.”

¹ Measured as the total asking prices of all residential dwellings listed during the year

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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New appointments bring business expertise to the Employment Relations Authority

LiveNews Publisher

January 22, 2025

Source: New Zealand Government

Two new appointed members and one reappointed member of the Employment Relations Authority have been announced by Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden today.
“I’m pleased to announce the new appointed members Helen van Druten and Matthew Piper to the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) and welcome them to their roles,” says Ms van Velden.
The ERA is an independent body that helps both employees and employers to resolve employment relationship problems and facilitates collective bargaining when difficulties arise.
“Currently, 76 per cent of ERA members have significant experience in the public sector, but only 48 percent in private business. I would like to see a greater balance in the backgrounds of ERA members to bring new ideas, skills and experience – and to better reflect the proportions of public sector and private sector employment in New Zealand.
“Helen van Druten joins the ERA from Restaurant Brands NZ, where she managed their employment relations nation-wide. She brings a depth of experience as well as a small business perspective. She has also managed employment relations with a diverse range of workers in these businesses including youth and migrant workers.
“Matthew Piper most recently worked as General Manager Employment Relations for the Warehouse Group. He has previously worked for commercial law firms, such as Simpson Grierson and Buddle Findlay, as well as gaining extensive private sector experience having been seconded into some of New Zealand’s largest companies.
“Both new appointees will further strengthen ERA’s perspectives and understanding of the private sector. In particular, the practicalities of employment law practice by employers in large and small businesses. Both are skilled in the process of investigations, hearings, and experienced in the ERA and the Courts system.
“I am keen to see them bring fresh ideas and approaches to ERA so that we see fast, fair and flexible resolution of disputes between employers and employees. This will reduce the burden on the Court system and the associated delays and costs experienced by all parties in trying to resolve employment problems.
“I’m also pleased to announce the reappointment of member Rachel Larmer for a further term,” says Ms van Velden.
Rachel Larmer has been a member of the ERA since 2010 and since her appointment has issued a significant number of determinations. Prior to becoming a member, Ms Larmer spent several years as a specialist employment lawyer in Auckland law firm Kiely, Thompson, Caisley.
Editor notes:

Helen van Druten (new appointment) for 4 years commencing 3 February 2025 and ending 2 February 2029.

Matthew Piper (new appointment) for 4 years commencing 7 April 2025 and ending 6 April 2029.

Rachel Larmer (reappointment) for 4 years commencing 4 February 2025 and ending 3 February 2029.

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Teens before the court for Thames offending

LiveNews Publisher

January 22, 2025

Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

Attributable to Inspector Mike Henwood, Eastern Waikato Area Commander:

Two people are before the courts following several incidents of dishonesty offending in Thames across the last three weeks.

About 7pm last night, Thames Police responded to reports of people breaking into cars.

With the assistance of a Police dog unit from Hamilton, Police tracked and arrested two offenders nearby.

Subsequent enquiries revealed the offenders were also believed to have been involved in several recent incidents since 8 January. This includes the attempted unlawful taking of vehicles, the unlawful taking of vehicles, two burglaries, and an attempted burglary.

The 17-year-old and 18-year-old young men are due to appear before the Hamilton Youth Court today, on 11 charges related to the incidents.

This comes off the back of another recent arrest of two young people in Waihi, after they were reportedly attempting to break into motor vehicles in the early hours of yesterday morning (Tuesday 21 January). One young person aged 14 is due to appear in the Waihi District Youth Court later this week.

Eastern Waikato Police have identified an increase in dishonesty offending within the wider area over the past few weeks, which is in line with what we typically see across summer months, and have we have altered patrol patterns accordingly.

These arrests are a good step in curbing recent offending; however, we need your assistance to continue to effectively responding to the unlawful activity.

If you witness any suspicious activity, please contact Police on 111 if it’s happening now or via 105 either online or over the phone if it’s after the fact.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

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