Artificial intelligence (AI) is playing a central role in the ongoing Middle East war. The United States, for example, has confirmed it is using the technology to identify potential targets and accelerate decision-making.
Against this backdrop, Australia’s Department of Defence has just released a new AI policy.
The policy aims to govern the Australian military’s use of AI. So what does it include? And how does it compare to the military AI policies of other countries?
Three main requirements
Australia’s policy establishes three overarching requirements for the Department of Defence’s use of AI.
Firstly, the use of AI must comply with Australian law and international obligations.
Secondly, the use of AI must be underpinned by individual accountability and bounded by consideration of impacts on people. It must also be explainable, reliable and secure, and designed to mitigate unintended bias and harm.
Thirdly, any risks associated with the use of AI must be managed with proportionate control measures, such as testing, training and evaluation.
The policy’s emphasis on proportionate controls is notable.
AI is not a standalone item. It is an enabling technology with many applications that can be embedded across a range of different military functions, such as targeting, logistics, training and maintenance – each raising different risks.
The policy aims to cover all AI technologies, from chatbots to the most advanced “frontier” general-purpose AI models.
That policy explicitly carves out the defence portfolio and national intelligence community. The new policy fills that gap.
Thin on details
The policy says little about how the Army, Navy and Air Force – or other defence entities such as the Australian Strategic Capabilities Accelerator – will actually enact its requirements.
It also says testing and evaluation of the defence department’s use of AI will serve as a key control measure. But it offers no detail on how this will be conducted for military AI – a domain where testing poses well-documented challenges around unpredictable behaviours and unreliable performance in military operating environments.
The Defence AI Centre, established in 2024, is identified as the governance hub. But the policy is thin on implementation, compliance, monitoring, resourcing, or reporting.
How these settings evolve and whether guidance on the implementation of them will follow – and be made public – remains to be seen.
Drawing on precedent
Australia’s policy draws on those of its closest allies.
The UK has moved further to appoint “responsible AI” officers within each Ministry of Defence component. It also published a progress report in 2025.
In 2020, the United States Department of Defense adopted AI ethics principles. Two years later, it developed a detailed implementation strategy. Then in January 2026, the current administration announced its AI Strategy for the Department of War. This shifted emphasis toward speed and lethality, mandating “any lawful use” of AI (which doesn’t always equal ethical use) and directing removal of barriers to rapid deployment.
Australia’s defence AI policy generally aligns with the core elements of these like-minded militaries: AI must be used lawfully, humans must remain accountable, and risks must be anticipated, avoided and mitigated.
One notable difference in Australia’s policy is its reference to Article 36 of Additional Protocol I of the Geneva Convention. The policy mandates legal reviews of AI in weapon systems – a meaningful commitment few states have enacted.
Another difference is that Australia’s policy lacks the implementation roadmaps found in the US and UK policies. It reads more like a statement of intent.
It is not clear what consequences, if any, this variation in policy and institutional depth may have for AUKUS Pillar II, which involves cooperation on acceleration and rapid integration of AI and autonomous technologies.
The heightened significance of national frameworks
This means national policy frameworks take on greater significance, shaping procurement and signalling to partners what a state considers acceptable practice.
Contemporary uses of military AI in ongoing conflicts – in Iran, in Lebanon, in Gaza, in Ukraine – remind us governance is not an abstract policy exercise.
Australia’s new policy settings are an important step. The test will be whether they are followed by implementation measures robust enough to effectively govern the development and use of military AI.
Rain has set in across Northland ahead of a major deluge expected to start later this afternoon – though so far it’s steady rather than torrential.
Northland Regional Council data shows rain everywhere but the southern half of the Kaipara District.
The wettest place so far is Weta, on the east coast near Whangaroa, which has recorded almost 12mm in the past hour.
What’s the weather looking like at your place? Email us iwitness@rnz.co.nz
The MetService red heavy rain warning applies to the entire east coast from Doubtless Bay to Whangārei, from 4pm Wednesday afternoon until 4am on Friday.
Up to 320mm of rain is forecast, with downpours of 20-40mm/hr possible.
Northland Civil Defence expects the worst of the rain to hit the northeast coast on Thursday night.
A number of other watches and warnings are in place across the country in what MetService is calling an “impactful” weather event.
Heavy rain, potentially bringing dangerous river conditions, flooding and slips, could pose a threat to life, MetService has warned.
Residents are urged not to enter floodwaters, avoid travel, and evacuate quickly if you see rising water.
Follow the latest updates in our live blog above.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on March 25, 2026.
Fiji’s human rights watchdog raises concerns over new Israeli embassy plans RNZ Pacific Fiji’s human rights watchdog has warned that the country’s pro-Israel foreign policy and diplomatic engagement works against its international obligations and could be enabling “genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity” in Gaza. The Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission (FHRADC) released a statement on Tuesday in response to the Fiji government announcing
Labor’s slide continues in federal polls, as special DemosAU poll has Coalition winning just nine seats Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Labor is still ahead, but the latest federal polls suggest a move against them. A DemosAU MRP poll has One Nation winning 52 of the 150 House
Is your ‘sustainable’ super funding fossil fuels or weapons? How to check the fine print Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Tian, Senior Lecturer, Finance School of Business, Law and Entrepreneurship, Swinburne University of Technology Many Australians don’t realise their superannuation savings – worth A$4.5 trillion and growing – may be invested in fossil fuel companies, gambling, or even weapons manufacturers. If you’ve switched how your super
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We showed a 20% tax on junk food would save more lives than a sugar tax Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tazman Davies, PhD Candidate, Food Policy, George Institute for Global Health Every Australian shopper knows the pull of cheap junk foods lining supermarket shelves. Meanwhile, the cost of fresh fruit and vegetables continues to climb. So it’s little wonder conditions such as obesity and type 2 diabetes
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A brief history of denim – and why the ‘perfect pair’ of jeans remains elusive Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rose Marroncelli, Lecturer, Nottingham Trent University Denim is present in practically every country in the world and is widely adopted as one of the most common forms of everyday attire. Its appeal spans generations and social groups: jeans are worn worldwide by those who follow fashion and
Iran war lacks strategy, goals, legitimacy and support – in the US and around the world Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Reifler, Professor of Political Science, University of Southampton Approximately one month into the Iran war, public opinion on both sides of the Atlantic is decidedly opposed to this conflict. A recent CBS/YouGov poll shows that 60% of the public oppose military action against Iran, as do
This Mediterranean-style diet could keep your brain sharp as you age – new study Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Eef Hogervorst, Professor of Biological Psychology, Loughborough University The Mediterranean diet – rich in olive oil, fish, vegetables and legumes – has long been linked to better heart health. Growing evidence suggests it may also help support brain health as we age, with a brain-focused variation of
Our interest in electric vehicles has grown due to oil price spikes. And it’s likely to remain Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tauel Harper, Associate Professor in Communications and Media, Murdoch University The US military action in Iran may have an unintended secondary effect – ending the cultural dominance of the internal combustion engine and ushering in the age of electric vehicles. Back in the 1970s, a sudden increase
Why are public schools asking parents to pay fees? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Rowe, Associate Professor in Education, Deakin University At this time of the school year, many schools are asking families to pay fees. These are not private schools, but public schools. The fees are voluntary and go towards a range of items such as stationery, textbooks and
Israel wants to destroy Iran’s nuclear program. But should it have nuclear weapons itself? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marianne Hanson, Associate Professor of International Relations, The University of Queensland Israel’s avowed goal in the Middle East war is to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Yet, the double standard associated with this is hardly sustainable in the long run. The worst-kept secret in the world
Gone but not forgotten: how fuzzy memories improve decision-making Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul M. Garrett, Post Doctoral Research Fellow, Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne You’ve only been in the shopping centre for a few minutes, but back in the car park, you suddenly freeze. Where did I park? The memory feels gone. You guess and
Medicinal cannabis has gone mainstream. But Australia’s struggling to cope Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christine Mary Hallinan, Senior Research Fellow, Department of General Practice and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne Medicinal cannabis has become a routine part of health care in Australia far more quickly than many expected. What began in 2016 as
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Prosecco makers lose out as Australia seals EU free-trade deal after 8 long years of talks Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hazel Moir, Honorary Associate Professor; economics of patents, geographical indications and other "IP"; trade treaties, Australian National University Nearly eight years ago Australia and the European Union (EU) launched trade negotiations. Finally, today Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and EU President Ursula von der Leyen signed an
Green Party co-leaders Marama Davidson and Chlöe Swarbrick.RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
The Greens have launched their housing policy for the election, promising legislation to limit rent rises at 2 percent a year.
No-cause evictions would also be scrapped, and a rental Warrant of Fitness and register of landlords and property managers introduced.
Investment in building public housing and ending homelessness would also be increased.
The ‘A home for everybody’ policy was launched by the party co-leaders and local MP Tamatha Paul at a rental home in Wellington on Wednesday afternoon.
Co-leader Marama Davidson said with rental costs increasing from 19 percent of incomes in 1988 to 30 percent in 2022, it was time for housing to be treated as a human right.
“In a country like Aotearoa, with our wealth of resources and skills, there is no excuse for people to go without a decent home, let along any home at all.”
Co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick said the Greens would build tens of thousands more public homes and support councils and community providers to do the same, stimulating local economies and creating jobs while curbing homelessness and waiting lists.
“This isn’t rocket science,” she said. “Mass building of public housing almost 100 years ago led to decades of stable, affordable homes for New Zealanders.
“Other countries have shown how sensible, practical policies to strengthen renters’ rights and common sense tax settings to stop housing being treated as a state-sanctioned casino means more affordable homes.”
A policy document outlined:
A Renters’ Rights Bill to cap rent increases at no more than 2 percent a year, end no-cause evictions, and bring in a Rental Warrant of Fitness
Create a national register of all landlords, property managers and boarding houses, introducing accreditation and regulatory compliance
Build tens of thousands more public homes, and increase long-term funding for councils and community housing providers
Invest in domestic pre-fabrication and offsite manufacturing
Ensure Kāinga Ora and community housing providers have enough funding to build enough accessible housing to meet the needs of disabled people, including stronger regulation for universally designed house building
Create a ‘Duty to Assist’ law placing a legal duty on agencies to ensure people have the housing they need
Reverse the government’s changes to emergency accommodation eligibility, and ensure same-day emergency housing is available until the person has access to suitable housing without going into debt
Increase funding for mental health, alcohol and addiction, budgeting, food and other community services
Ensure planning laws enable house building in towns and cities connected to public transport, shops and community facilities
Require councils to enable development capacity for long-term population growth
Remove barriers to Māori building on their own land and scale up Whai Kāinga Whai Oranga programme
Reverse National’s changes to interest deductability for landlords
The party at the last election also campaigned on many of these measures, but the previous rent-rise cap used a more complicated calculation based on rates of inflation and wage growth.
The party’s 2023 policy for expanding public housing also specified a figure of 35,000 new “warm, affordable homes”, and they had a plan to increase the Income Related Rent Subsidy so no tenant would be forced to spend more than a quarter of their income on rent.
At the time, the housing policy was costed at nearly $14 billion over five years.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Tongariro on Saturday 8 November 2025, a few hours after the fire broke out.Kristina Montgomerie / @kristinamonts
A vehicle losing its rear wheel and dragging its undercarriage along the road sparked the fire which swept through 3000 hectares of Tongariro National Park in November.
A fire investigation report released under the Official Information Act describes witnesses seeing a vehicle with no left rear-wheel being pushed on State Highway 47 by three people.
About 50 metres away a fire was quickly growing which a member of the public called in just after 3pm, 8 November last year.
“The fire size was noted at around the size of two cars and quickly grew to as big as a house, with flames up to 2.5m tall, then very rapidly, by three-to-five minutes, it was the size of a large farm implement shed,” specialist wildfire fire investigator Grant Detheridge-Davies said in his report.
“After the 111 call was terminated, it was estimated the fire to be almost a football field in size.”
Vehicle LH rear wheel showing damage to under side and evidence of metal components being subjected to high temperature.Fire and Emergency / supplied
The vehicle in question was discovered parked in a layby on the opposite side of the road, hidden from sight, about 400m from the specific fire origin area.
“When found the vehicle did have four wheels fitted however the left-hand rear wheel was not fitted correctly and there was significant damage to the underside of the vehicle.”
Detheridge-Davies said inspection of the road showed marks consistent with an item being dragged across the surface from about 60m before the specific fire origin area and then on for approximately 320m.
“The use of a magnet and metal detector confirmed the presence of metal filings and steel pieces in and around these drag marks, most showing they had been subjected to high temperature.”
Based on physical evidence gathered at the scene, witness statements and photographs, Detheridge-Davies concluded the probable cause of the blaze was the “wheel, contacting the road surface creating hot metal sparks setting roadside vegetation on fire”.
The specific ignition area of the fire was narrowed down to the edge of a drain on the side of SH47 where “dry tussock vegetation and rubbish had built up”.
Detheridge-Davies said once the grass was ignited the fire spread quickly to other dry fuels.
“On the day of the fire, scrub fuels had an extreme fire rating. This along with a 15km/h wind recorded at National Park enabled the fire to increase in intensity and rate of spread, becoming a high intensity and fast-moving fire.
“A witness described the fire as the size of a car, but quickly spread to the size of two rugby fields by the time the brigade arrived.”
Detheridge-Davies concluded the fire was accidental.
Fire damage at Tongariro National Park.Fire and Emergency / supplied
Remarkably, documents show a second fire was sparked in the same area in similar circumstances just 30 days later.
A second fire investigation report released under the Official Information Act, describes how a caravan breaking an axle sparked a 300 hectare fire on 8 December.
Also penned by Detheridge-Davies it said FENZ received a 111 call to several vegetation fires on Volcanic Loop Highway SH47 at 1.10pm.
“An overflying helicopter reported the fire as over an 1/2-hectare in size and growing. Due to fire conditions a 3rd alarm [was raised] and a request for three helicopters was transmitted.”
Motorists travelling north on SH47, between State Highway 48 and Mangapopo reported seeing a camper van towing a trailer travelling South towards Waimarino, “the towed trailer was emitting large number of sparks onto the side road from what appeared to be a major mechanical fault”.
A motorist who saw smoke and came across a number of fires on the roadside called 111.
The first arriving Fire and Emergency appliance and passing police officers confirmed at least four fires started on the roadside over about 850m.
Once tussock on the side of the road was ignited the fires grew quickly and merged.
Detheridge-Davies concluded the fire was sparked accidentally.
“The probable cause of the fire was a trailer being towed by a camper van having a flat tyre then breaking an axle, resulting in the underside of the trailer contacting the road surface creating hot metal sparks setting roadside vegetation on fire.”
Fiji’s human rights watchdog has warned that the country’s pro-Israel foreign policy and diplomatic engagement works against its international obligations and could be enabling “genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity” in Gaza.
The FHRADC said that the announcement “raises important questions” and is calling on the government to uphold its human rights obligations “in all aspects” of its diplomacy.
As a state party to the Genocide Convention, Fiji is bound by international human rights law and international humanitarian law, the FHRADC said.
It added under the Convention of the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, the country “is obligated to support international efforts to prevent genocide” and ensure those responsible for such crimes are held responsible.
“This includes ensuring that Fiji’s foreign policy and diplomatic relations do not assist, enable, or legitimise conduct by parties or states involved in serious violations of international law.”
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2024 said that claims are “plausible” that the rights of Palestinians in Gaza under the Genocide Convention are being “violated . . . by Israel’s large-scale military operation in Gaza” a position firmly rejected by Israel, which has maintained its actions are necessary for self defence against Hamas.
“The duty to prevent genocide is a jus cogens obligation, a non-derogable principle of international law,” FHRADC commissioner Alefina Vuki said.
Legal responsibility She said according to international law every state had “the legal responsibility to intervene and prevent the intentional or deliberate destruction of a group of people”, suggesting Fiji had failed to do this.
“No government can ever justify or excuse its failure to carry out this responsibility. States must ensure diplomatic relations that uphold, rather than undermine the duty to prevent genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity,” she said.
Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said at the time that the opening of Fiji’s embassy in Jerusalem “reflects our desire to build bridges — not walls — between nations, cultures, and peoples”.
Fiji’s UN AMbassador Filipo Tarakinikini presents his credentials as the new Fiji non-resident Ambassador to Israel to Israeli President Isaac Herzog in April 2025. Image: FB/Fiji Govt
Fiji is one of a handful of countries to open a diplomatic mission in Jerusalem rather than Tel Aviv, which is controversial.
Diplomatic actions According to FHRADC, the Fiji government has the “sovereign prerogative to determine bilateral relations”.
However, Vuki said Fiji must ensure that its “diplomatic actions do not violate international norms relating to occupation, self-determination, and the protection of civilian populations”.
“Any strengthening of bilateral relations must be carefully balanced against Fiji’s responsibilities as a member of the international community,” she said.
The FHRADC has offered to provide “independent and technical advice” to support the Fijian government with its foreign policy to keep it aligned to its international human rights commitments.
This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.
New Zealanders actively think about their financial situation, with 63 percent considering their position at least weekly.RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King
The Financial Markets Authority (FMA) has found just 28 percent of New Zealanders have accessed financial advice in the past 12 months, with some groups significantly under-represented.
The regulator’s review found people from lower socio-economic backgrounds and some ethnic groups, including Māori and Pasifika communities, were missing out, with many unsure about what financial advice is, how to access it and how much it cost.
“Additionally, accessibility challenges are more pronounced for Māori, who encounter barriers including a lack of culturally aligned advice models and tools,” FMA chief executive Samantha Barrass said.
There was a gap in the availability of advice to support New Zealanders through retirement, with many unsure about how to sustainably use their savings throughout retirement.
She said many providers were uncertain about how to tailor the nature and scope of advice.
“This means advisers sometimes do more than they need to, or take an overly cautious approach, making advice less accessible.”
Financial Advice New Zealand chief executive Nick Hakes said members were looking forward to further collaboration and engagement with the FMA in coming months.
Among the key findings was New Zealanders actively thought about their financial situation, with 63 percent considering their position at least weekly.
However, poor financial literacy was an issue for many. Many had just moderate confidence in understanding what a financial advisor does, with women being less confident than men.
Education also played a role in confidence. Just 48 percent of those with a high school education rated themselves as having a high level of confidence of better than four out of five, followed by 69 percent for those with a bachelor’s degree and 67 percent for those with a master’s degree.
The FMA said there was also room for improvement when it came to helping consumers seek financial advice.
Affordability was an issue for 31 percent of respondents, while 26 percent said they did not know where to start, followed by a lack of trust in advisers (15 percent), not knowing how to find a qualified adviser and information overload (both 14 percent).
Just one in five respondents said they preferred to manage their finances themselves.
Only 24 percent indicated they had not experienced any difficulty in getting financial advice.
Barrass said innovation was a key area of opportunity for increasing accessibility, including technology-enabled and hybrid advice models that could make advice scalable and more consistent.
“Technology can automate parts of the process that currently take advisers a lot of time, freeing them up to focus more on the human conversations that consumers value.”
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne
Labor is still ahead, but the latest federal polls suggest a move against them. A DemosAU MRP poll has One Nation winning 52 of the 150 House seats and the Coalition just nine. A Victorian poll has the Coalition gaining a 52–48 lead over Labor.
At the South Australian election, One Nation won 22.2% of the statewide primary vote, beating the Liberals (19.1%). This shows we should take polls with One Nation doing well seriously. They won’t necessarily fade before an election or underperform their polls.
Morgan’s consumer confidence has fallen steeply in the last four weeks to a record low of 63.1, worse than during the COVID pandemic. I believe this slump explains why Labor is not polling well.
YouGov poll
A national YouGov poll for Sky News, conducted March 17–24 from a sample presumably of 1,500, gave Labor 29% of the primary vote (down one since the early March YouGov poll), One Nation 27% (up one), the Coalition 19% (steady), the Greens 13% (steady), independents 6% (up one) and others 6% (down one).
By respondent preferences, Labor led One Nation by 53–47, a two-point gain for One Nation. This is the closest Labor lead over One Nation in this poll. Labor led the Coalition by 54–46, a one-point gain for the Coalition.
Essential poll
A national Essential poll, conducted March 18–22 from a sample of 1,008, gave Labor 31% of the primary vote (up one since the late February Essential poll), the Coalition 24% (down two), One Nation 24% (up two), the Greens 10% (down one), all Others 5% (down two) and undecided 7% (up three).
By respondent preferences, the Coalition led Labor by 47–46 including undecided (48–47 previously). If using 2025 election flows, Labor would lead by nearly 52–48. Essential’s polls have weak respondent flows to Labor and low votes for Others.
Anthony Albanese’s net approval slumped six points to -12, with 51% disapproving and 39% approving. Angus Taylor’s initial net approval was -17 (47% disapprove, 30% approve), compared with Sussan Ley’s -9 in December.
Anthony Albanese’s approval rating has slumped in a new Essential poll.Mick Tsikas/AAP
By 42–26, respondents disapproved of the US and Israel’s decision to initiate strikes on Iran. By 34–26, they approved of Australia’s response to Iran.
China and the US were the two countries respondents thought Australia should become less close to, rather than get closer to. By 65–35, respondents thought Australia should prioritise strengthening its relationship with other middle powers over maintaining its relationship with the US.
Morgan poll
A national Morgan poll, conducted March 16–22 from a sample of 1,664, gave Labor 27% of the primary vote (down 1.5 since the March 9–15 Morgan poll), the Coalition 25.5% (up 1.5), One Nation 23.5% (up one), the Greens 13.5% (up one) and all Others 10.5% (down two).
By respondent preferences, Labor led the Coalition by 52.5–47.5, a 1.5-point gain for the Coalition. By 2025 election preference flows, Labor led by 51–49, a one-point gain for the Coalition.
DemosAU MRP poll has Coalition winning just 9 lower house seats
MRP polls use modelling and large sample sizes to estimate the results in all 150 House of Representatives seats. A DemosAU MRP poll was conducted with a long fieldwork period (January 13 to March 3) from a sample of 8,424.
Point seat estimates gave Labor 83 seats (down 11 since the May 2025 election and down 15 since the October to November DemosAU MRP poll), One Nation 52 (up 52 since the election and up 40 since the last poll), the Coalition nine (down 34 and down 20), the Greens one (steady and up one) and all Others five (down seven and down six).
National primary votes in this poll were 29% Labor (down four since the last MRP poll), 27% One Nation (up ten), 21% Coalition (down three), 12% Greens (down one) and 11% for all Others (down two). The long fieldwork period means this should not be taken as an indication of recent poll trends.
Single-member systems can be brutal. If the Coalition finished third on primary votes, they would win few seats with One Nation winning the safe rural and regional conservative seats. While Labor’s 83 seats is well down from both the last election and the last poll, it’s still more than the 76 needed for a majority.
This poll is an estimate of what would have happened had an election been held between January and February. The next election is over two years away.
Resolve questions on the Iran war
I previously covered the mid-March national Resolve poll for Nine newspapers. In additional questions, by 39–28 respondents opposed the US and Israel’s attack on Iran. By 61–13, they supported Australia staying out of the situation entirely.
By 47–9, respondents supported regime change in Iran. By 48–24, they opposed Australia offering military support to the US. By 85–9, they were concerned about the impact of the Iran war on the cost of living in Australia.
Victorian Freshwater poll: Coalition gains to take lead
The Victorian state election is in late November. A Freshwater poll for The Herald Sun, conducted March 19–23 from a sample of 1,060, gave the Coalition 30% of the primary vote (up three since the February Freshwater poll), Labor 27% (down one), One Nation 20% (down three), the Greens 14% (up one) and all Others 9% (steady).
By respondent preferences, the Coalition led by 52–48, a two-point gain for the Coalition. But if Labor replaced Jacinta Allan as premier, this poll suggests a 50–50 tie.
Allan’s net favourability was steady at -33 (55% unfavourable, 22% favourable), while Liberal leader Jess Wilson was up four points to net +18 (32% favourable, 14% unfavourable). Wilson led Allan as better premier by 47–31 (46–30 previously). By 54–33, respondents thought it was time to give Wilson a chance rather than saying Allan had done enough to deserve re-election.
The Victorian Liberals were at +3 net favourability, One Nation at net zero, Victorian Labor and the Victorian Greens were both at -12.
Further SA results
The Poll Bludger’s SA lower house count has Labor winning 33 of the 47 seats, the Liberals four, One Nation two and independents three, with five undecided. Assigning undecided seats to the most likely winners gives Labor 34, the Liberals five, One Nation four and independents four.
Labor has held the seat of Light against a One Nation challenge and an independent has gained Finniss from the Liberals.
Eleven of the 22 upper house seats are elected by statewide proportional representation with preferences. A quota for election is one-twelfth of the vote or 8.3%.
With 54% of enrolled voters counted for the upper house, Labor has 4.46 quotas, One Nation 2.86, the Liberals 2.09, the Greens 1.28 and Legalise Cannabis 0.30. Labor will probably win the final seat, with Labor and the Greens holding a 12–10 combined majority.
NSW Resolve poll additional questions
On Friday I covered a New South Wales Resolve poll for The Sydney Morning Herald. In further questions, by 54–18 respondents thought Premier Chris Minns had handled protests over the visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog well rather than poorly. By 49–18, they supported the Sydney-Newcastle fast train project going ahead.
Rain has set in across Northland ahead of a major deluge expected to start later this afternoon – though so far it’s steady rather than torrential.
Northland Regional Council data shows rain everywhere but the southern half of the Kaipara District.
The wettest place so far is Weta, on the east coast near Whangaroa, which has recorded almost 12mm in the past hour.
What’s the weather looking like at your place? Email us iwitness@rnz.co.nz
The MetService red heavy rain warning applies to the entire east coast from Doubtless Bay to Whangārei, from 4pm Wednesday afternoon until 4am on Friday.
Up to 320mm of rain is forecast, with downpours of 20-40mm/hr possible.
Northland Civil Defence expects the worst of the rain to hit the northeast coast on Thursday night.
A number of other watches and warnings are in place across the country in what MetService is calling an “impactful” weather event.
Heavy rain, potentially bringing dangerous river conditions, flooding and slips, could pose a threat to life, MetService has warned.
Residents are urged not to enter floodwaters, avoid travel, and evacuate quickly if you see rising water.
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The Principals’ Federation says it hopes the ministry and Education Minister Erica Stanford will listen, however say the minister has been choosing to talk with other people in the education sector.RNZ / Nick Monro
Thirteen education organisations representing thousands of teachers and principals have united to oppose the government’s school curriculum overhaul.
In a letter published on Wednesday organisations including teacher union the Educational Institute, the Principals’ Federation and several subject associations, said the proposed changes were not fit for purpose.
They said the curriculum framework and six draft curriculum documents were not fit for purpose, did not meet the Education Ministry’s own standards, “and represent a profound, unworkable narrowing of curriculum scope”.
“The pace of curriculum change is unreasonable, has layered multiple demands on schools and kura, and has created huge workloads on the sector,” they said.
“This will have significant negative impacts, including impacting on the recruitment and retention of teachers.”
Principals’ Federation president Jason Miles told RNZ primary schools had already introduced new maths and English curriculums, which made huge changes to the way schools taught the subjects, and work on the remaining six learning areas should stop.
“There is a lot wrong with the draft curriculum that has been presented for consultation. It’s devoid of anything to do with Te Tiriti. It is full of knowledge, rich objectives, over 1000 objectives from year zero to eight, they’re not coherent,” he said.
“It’s surface level teaching, it’s tick-charts, it’s knowledge-rich objectives which will be easily assessed. But what we are concerned about is the deeper, capabilities and competencies that are missing from these curriculum.”
Miles said the groups’ decision to make a joint statement was hugely significant.
“We’ve all slammed the direction, the pace, and the lack of genuine consultation, and the government’s rushed wholesale curriculum reform,” he said.
“We’re fundamentally saying that these curriculums cannot go ahead.”
Miles said he hoped the ministry and Education Minister Erica Stanford would listen, however he said the minister was choosing to talk with other people in the education sector.
NZEI Te Riu Roa president Ripeka Lessels told RNZ the minister and ministry had not listened to the organisations so far, but she hoped that would change.
Asked if there was middle ground between the groups’ philosophy of education and the approach favoured by the minister, Lessels said there was still room for talk.
“We clearly do believe that the [government’s] ideologies are in opposition to what we believe is good practice for education and for the classroom,” she said.
“We do believe that some of the things that we believe are driving this ideology are definitely not good for our country and not good for our children and we do believe that if we don’t stand up and have a conversation, then these ideologies may become something that the country has no choice but to take on board.”
Other signatories to the open letter included the Māori principals’ association Te Akatea, the Teacher Education Forum and associations representing teachers of subjects including social studies, physical education, and drama.
It’s not the first time different education organisations had united to oppose the government’s school sector changes.
Multiple principals associations last year published open letters urging the government to slow down its curriculum overhaul and 10 organisations including Catholic school principals and kindergartens spoke out against changes to teacher registration and disciplinary body the Teaching Council.
Principals and teachers spoken to by RNZ this year have warned that while some of the government’s English and maths changes were positive, it was trying to make too much change too fast.
Thirteen organisations signed the letter and the NZEI said others were considering it.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Winston Peters said on social media the feedback was about the proposed catch size limit changes for commercial companies.RNZ / Mark Papalii
The coalition has ditched a contentious aspect of fisheries legislation after a backlash from recreational fishers.
The Prime Minister stepped in and spoke with Minister in charge Shane Jones, and said he agreed to take out the sections of the Fisheries Amendment Bill that removes the minimum size limits.
Winston Peters also took to social media, saying New Zealand First agreed to remove the contentious clause, after feedback about the proposed catch size limit changes for commercial companies, and how that would affect a large number of ordinary Kiwis.
The legislation is currently before Parliament and Peters said the party is now looking to review the issue of catch size limit during the select committee process.
“We believe in democracy, and the most important part of democracy is listening to the people. We are doing that,” said Peters.
Luxon said on social media he shared Kiwis’ concerns on the impacts to juvenile fish stocks.
“I know Kiwis still have some concerns, which is why we want the fishing community to submit to the Select Committee process on this Bill,” wrote Luxon.
The change comes following comments by Jones – also deputy leader of New Zealand First – saying on Monday critics of his Fisheries Amendment Bill were “a range of noisy voices”.
Peters said on Wednesday he spoke with Jones on the matter and “we decided to review this part of the legislation and use the select committee to remove this clause”.
The bill has been welcomed by the commercial sector but condemned by recreational fishing groups.
The current recreational size limit for snapper is between 25cm and 30cm depending on location, while the commercial size limit is 25cm.
Minimum size limits are imposed to ensure fish can reach sexual maturity before being caught.
Jones argued on Monday that allowing the commercial sector to land and sell undersize fish would prevent wastage.
Currently commercial fishers must dump undersize fish dead or alive, and it doesn’t count against their quota.
“The new provision is that if you catch them, you pay for them,” Jones said.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Tian, Senior Lecturer, Finance School of Business, Law and Entrepreneurship, Swinburne University of Technology
If you’ve switched how your super is invested to avoid any of those industries, you’re not alone.
The latest official superannuation statistics show most of Australia’s major super funds now offer investments designed to reduce exposure to everything from coal and oil to other industries like tobacco, weapons, gambling and alcohol.
But if you care about particular issues – from climate change to weapons of war – it’s worth reading the fine print to be sure where your money is going.
It’s easy to put off thinking about superannuation when retirement is years away. In this five-part series, we ask top experts to explain how to sort your super in a few simple steps, avoid greenwashing, and set goals for retirement.
What even counts as ‘sustainable’?
There’s no single definition of what makes a super option “sustainable” or “responsible”. So it’s not easy for consumers to compare different funds.
That’s why the federal government is currently consulting on clearer labelling rules for financial products marketed as “sustainable” (and a long list of similar terms) – including for superannuation.
For now, each fund sets its own criteria.
A few funds, such as Australian Ethical and Future Super, only offer sustainable options, with tighter investment restrictions than most super funds. Even so, the fine print matters.
For instance, in Australian Ethical’s case, weapons makers and tobacco producers are excluded outright. But a diversified company earning a small share of revenue from fossil fuels or alcohol may still be held, if its positives are judged to outweigh its negatives.
Among the biggest super funds, which most Australians have their super in, there’s a wide variety of “sustainable” options on offer.
Check what’s screened in or out
Most super sustainable options in Australia use some combination of “negative screening” (excluding sectors like fossil fuels, gambling or weapons) and “positive screening” (favouring companies with strong environmental, social and governance practices). But those thresholds vary widely.
A common approach is to set a revenue threshold, rather than an outright ban. This means a company can still be held as long as its income from a screened activity stays below a set percentage.
For example, HESTA’s “sustainable growth” option has a long list of exclusions, including companies with thermal coal, oil and gas reserves, tobacco and controversial weapons. Its thresholds vary for each category, from outright bans (such as on uranium miners) to restrictions on revenue (such as weapons).
Australia’s biggest super fund, AustralianSuper, has a “socially aware” option with some of the same exclusions. But its thresholds also vary. Last year, AustralianSuper attracted criticism for buying back into Whitehaven Coal for its wider, non-sustainable investment portfolio – a reversal of its 2020 sale of stocks in the coal miner.
The Australian Financial Review recently reported Australia’s third-largest pension fund Aware Super was lifting some restrictions on investments in carbon-heavy companies, under a new benchmark system to track which companies are doing most to cut emissions.
However, Aware Super told The Conversation that current fossil fuel screens in place for its “socially conscious” investment options “remain unchanged”.
Just last month, the Environmental Defenders Office lodged a complaint with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) about industry fund UniSuper. The complaint came after UniSuper halved the environmental revenue threshold for its “global environmental opportunities” product – from 40% to 20%.
UniSuper has said those changes were made “to expand the investible universe while maintaining the option’s environmental theme”.
Watch out for greenwashing
Australia’s corporate regulators are responding to more greenwashing allegations – with some resulting in fines.
ASIC has had several wins against major funds for misleading sustainability claims.
In a landmark first Federal Court greenwashing case in 2024, Mercer Super was fined $11.3 million after admitting it made misleading statements about its “sustainable plus” options.
Vanguard was then hit with a record $12.9 million penalty, after it was found to have misled investors about its $1 billion ethical bond fund.
And last year, Active Super was ordered to pay $10.5 million in a third greenwashing case. The court found Active Super’s marketing claimed it had eliminated investments in areas like gambling, coal mining and oil tar sands – when it hadn’t.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has again made greenwashing one of its enforcement priorities for the next year. The watchdog predicts misleading environmental claims will “continue, if not increase” as Australia transitions toward “net zero” emissions.
It pays to ask questions
None of this means sustainable investing is a bad idea.
In fact, research suggests companies investing in sustainable and socially responsible activities tend to be better governed – and that this is more often than not good for shareholders too.
But the labels and screening methods matter enormously.
If you’ve chosen a “sustainable” or “socially responsible” option because you care about particular issues, it’s worth checking if the fine print in your fund meets your expectations.
If you think your fund’s claims don’t stack up, try contacting your fund. If that doesn’t work, you can report concerns to ASIC or the ACCC.
Disclaimer: This article provides general information only and is not intended as financial advice.
Last summer’s inauguration saw the induction of Bert Sutcliffe, John R Reid, Jackie Lord, Trish McKelvey, Glenn Turner, Sir Richard Hadlee, Debbie Hockley, Martin Crowe, Emily Drumm, Daniel Vettori, and Brendon McCullum.
Coney led the New Zealand men’s team through its first so-called Golden Era in the 1980s, while Tiffen was regarded as one of the best all-rounders in the world during the decade from 1999-2009.
One of New Zealand women’s cricket’s most accomplished leaders, Tiffen debuted against South Africa as a 19-year-old in 1999, and made 128 international appearances (53 as captain) across formats, including a remarkable streak of 71 consecutive ODIs.
She was a star of New Zealand’s 2000 World Cup triumph on home soil, scoring 187 runs at 46.75.
As captain, Tiffen led the team to the 2009 World Cup final in Australia, topping both aggregates and averages with 279 runs at 46.50, including a century against Pakistan, her penultimate international innings.
An elite all-rounder, she was shortlisted for the ICC Women’s Player of the Year in 2006. She also featured in New Zealand’s inaugural women’s T20I against England in 2004, and scored 124 in her two Tests.
“It’s a huge honour to be inducted into the Hall of Fame and to be alongside some of my role models already inducted, like Debbie Hockley, Sir Richard Hadlee and Emily Drumm,” she said.
“As a young girl from Timaru, representing New Zealand was always a dream. Cricket has given me so much, incredible friendships, challenges, and memories that will stay with me forever. I’m very grateful to the game and everyone who supported me along the way.”
Regarded as one New Zealand’s most courageous competitors, Coney led the New Zealand men’s team to three historic and successive Test series victories in 1985 and 1986: against Australia in Australia, Australia in New Zealand, and England in England, all of which were first-time achievements.
The allrounder was renowned for thriving in crises. His maiden Test century of 174 not out against England at the Basin Reserve in 1984 came after a 244-run first-innings deficit, rescuing New Zealand from near-certain defeat in an epic eight-hour stand.
Former New Zealand cricket captain Jeremy Coney, who has also been a commentator.Andrew Cornaga / photosport.co.nz
The following season, another unbeaten hundred (with a famous last-wicket 50-run partnership alongside Ewen Chatfield) delivered a dramatic two-wicket win against Pakistan in Dunedin.
Across 52 Tests, Coney scored 2668 runs at 37.57 (including three centuries and 16 fifties) and took 64 catches, many at second slip, where his success rate was near-infallible.
His medium-pace bowling delivered 27 Test wickets and 54 in ODIs, including a crucial four-wicket haul at Leeds in 1983 that helped secure New Zealand’s first Test win in England. In 80 ODI innings, he failed to score only once.
“I think back to the skinny wraith from Ngaio in Wellington, spending his primary schoolboy afternoons alone on our tennis court immersed with a ball, my older brother’s bat (which had to be replaced in the precise position it lay prior to his return from college),” he said.
“In that wash-house I first heard the seductive clink of buckles from pads… It was on this tennis court using this borrowed equipment I created unlikely and (as yet) unregistered, test victories over England and Australia.
“One might imagine the pleasure supplied when these mythical encounters became a reality for me.”
Coney said he was honoured to be recognised.
“It’s been fun and a challenge. That this range of feelings through good times and bad, competing hard as part of a team, might result in my inclusion alongside those I have admired is a little beyond my expectations, yet considerably gratifying.”
Coney and Tiffen will be formally recognised at the New Zealand Cricket Awards on Thursday.
The Hall of Fame (HOF) is a joint initiative between NZ Cricket (NZC), the NZ Cricket Players Association, and the NZ Cricket Museum, to immortalise the country’s greatest cricketers.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
A woman who accused former Deputy Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming of sexual offending allegedly sent 87 abusive emails to the wife of an officer who was overseeing an investigation into her.
Police claim the emails were “threatening and highly disparaging” of the woman and made reference to her children, including “suggesting they should be sexually abused”.
A damning report released in November by the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) found serious misconduct at the highest levels, including former Commissioner Andrew Coster, over how police responded to the woman’s allegations.
The woman, who had name suppression but was referred to as ‘Ms Z’ in the IPCA’s report, was charged in May last year with causing harm by posting digital communication in relation to over 300 emails sent to McSkimming’s work email address between December 2023 and April 2024.
Do you know more? Email sam.sherwood@rnz.co.nz
The charge against the woman was withdrawn in the Wellington District Court in September because McSkimming did not wish to give evidence. But the woman remained before the court on two charges of causing harm by posting a digital communication in relation to another police officer and his wife.
On Wednesday, the case was called in the Wellington District Court before Judge Andy Nicholls.
At the hearing, Judge Nicholls granted RNZ access to a court document that detailed the police allegations against Ms Z. The police officer and his wife had name suppression. Ms Z pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Wellington District Court.RNZ / Richard Tindiller
The document said Ms Z was in contact with the officer in charge of the prosecution into the initial charges she faced. However, due to the volume and nature of emails, phone calls and text messages that she sent to him a bail condition was added, preventing her from contacting him except through her counsel.
The court document said this “frustrated” Ms Z who “went about trying to circumvent this ban on contact”.
Police said Ms Z went online and discovered the identity of the officer’s wife and found out they had young children. She also found the wife’s contact details, including her employer, job title, work email address and home address.
“She accessed social media to locate material about her locating a photograph of [the wife] at a social event many years earlier holding a beer bong. This required a lot of effort as it was not on [the wife’s] own Facebook page.
“The defendant decided that this photograph was embarrassing for [the wife].”
She was accused of creating a fake email address and sending 87 emails to the wife’s work email address between 26 June and 3 July 2025. She copied senior police officers, the Lower Hutt mayor and a journalist into some of the emails.
“The emails were threatening and highly disparaging of [the wife]. They also contained highly offensive language. The content of the emails worsened over time. The emails also made reference to [the wife’s] young children.
“This included highly offensive sexual references about the children and suggesting they should be sexually abused.”
The court document said some of the emails were sent in quick succession. Ten were sent in the space of 51 minutes on 29 June, nine in the space of 32 minutes, and 56 were sent on the same day.
The document said Ms Z referred to the couple’s home address in her emails.
“The reference to their home address in combination with the derogatory and offensive content of the emails caused serious emotional distress, embarrassment and anxiety to both [the wife] and her husband. This impacted both their personal and professional lives.”
On 3 July, Ms Z was arrested and charged in relation to the emails. Bail conditions were imposed to prevent her from contacting the wife.
It was alleged she then began messaging the chief executive of the company where the wife worked, sending 10 emails to the CEO in one day in August from the same fake email account. A senior police officer was copied into some of the emails.
“The emails were threatening, and contained offensive language and derogatory comments about [the wife]. The defendant also made sexual references in relation to [the wife’s] young children.”
The wife was advised of the emails. The court document said the email “caused further serious emotional distress, embarrassment and anxiety to [the wife] and her husband”.
Ms Z’s lawyer earlier filed an application to dismiss the charges she faced on the grounds that the continued prosecution was “an abuse of process”.
On Wednesday, the application was discussed again. Ms Z’s lawyer, Steven Lack, said his client’s position was that the initial prosecution against her was “an abuse of process by the police because it was designed to silence her”.
“And then the second prosecution is effectively fruit of the poisoned tree in that regard.”
In response, barrister Ian Murray – acting for police – said there were “multiple ways this abuse of process could be sliced”.
“It could be that the original prosecution was in bad faith to prevent her from airing allegations about McSkimming, that’s probably the most understandable ground.
“In my submission there are then some breaks in the chain that would make even that argument difficult to sustain in relation to her behaviour, in relation to a completely unrelated person not connected with the investigation.”
He said he did not understand how a suggestion that there was a deliberate not charging of McSkimming could make prosecution of her in relation to her alleged conduct an abuse of process.
A pre-trial callover has been set for 9 June. Judge Nicholls continued suppression orders for Ms Z and the police officer and his wife.
Police Commissioner Richard Chambers.Calvin Samuel / RNZ
RNZ earlier approached police asking if they had any comment on charges she still faced and whether police would now drop them.
In response, Police Commissioner Richard Chambers said the matter was before the court and police had instructed a senior criminal barrister in the proceeding.
“It would be inappropriate for me to comment about the merits, including public interest, of any case that is before the court.
“However, what I have done and what I can say is that I have assured myself that proper process has been followed in bringing this case.”
Assistant Commissioner Mike Johnson said Ms Z was the defendant in a prosecution in the district court.
“In these circumstances it is not appropriate to comment publicly on the merits of the prosecution, including the public interest.”
In an earlier statement to RNZ, Lack said police “failed my client”.
“Over a period of years, she attempted to report allegations of serious physical, psychological and sexual offending by McSkimming, then one of the most senior Police Officers in the country. Instead of being heard, she was dismissed and ultimately prosecuted for speaking out and raising her concerns.
“At every stage, the police had the opportunity to engage with her, to properly assess what she was saying, and to investigate her allegations. They could have viewed her as a traumatised victim.
“They chose not to. They accepted McSkimming’s denials without meaningful inquiry and placed the full weight of the criminal justice system on my client for more than a year until the charge against her was withdrawn. Understandably this has had a devastating impact on her.
“The way her complaints were handled should alarm all New Zealanders. It suggests that the police were more focused on protecting McSkimming’s career and advancement than on properly assessing serious allegations of offending against him.”
Lack said the police were an organisation “entrusted by the community to protect and serve”.
The cancellations were due to a technical fault found on Saturday morning.RNZ/Anthony Phelps
Bluebridge has cancelled its Connemara Cook Strait ferry sailings for a sixth consecutive day, and the company isn’t sure the ship will be fixed ahead of the weekend.
On March 11, Iranian Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali announced he saw “no possibility” of the country’s men’s national soccer team taking part in the World Cup scheduled for North America in June and July this year.
That prognosis came in the wake of US and Israeli military attacks on Iran, which have triggered a crisis across the Middle East.
Never before has a World Cup host nation been at war with one of the countries participating in the tournament.
The failure to find a diplomatic solution to longstanding multilateral tensions has not only impacted the supply of oil and trade routes, it has complicated one of the world’s largest sporting events.
In 2025, Gianni Infantino, president of soccer’s governing body – Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) – announced the inaugural “FIFA Peace Prize”.
the enormous efforts of those individuals who unite people, bringing hope for future generations.
In January 2026, US President Donald Trump was deemed the most worthy recipient of this accolade.
That is despite a litany of conduct at odds with the award, such as the US partnering Israel in the Gaza conflict, as well as the Trump administration’s “rapid authoritarian shift”, which has brought a substantial decline of civic freedoms at home.
Two months after Trump received his “peace prize”, the US partnered with Israel to provoke war against Iran.
Little wonder some critics have argued Trump’s award ought to be revoked.
Will Iran be welcome at the World Cup?
After meeting Infantino on March 10, Trump provided assurance the Iranian team would be “welcome to compete”.
Soon after, though, Trump wrote on his Truth Social media platform there would not be a welcome mat:
I really don’t believe it’s appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety.
This veiled warning prompted a rebuke from the Iranian team, which insisted: “no individual could exclude a country from the World Cup”, and that it was the responsibility of a host nation to provide security guarantees for participants.
The players want to take part, even if their national sports minister feels it is a forlorn hope.
At this stage, scheduled friendly games against Nigeria and Costa Rica in Turkey, intended as preparation for the World Cup, are going ahead.
Pitch perambulations
Iran is scheduled to play three group-stage games in California and Seattle at the World Cup.
Competing in the United States is a sticking point for the Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI), which is responsible for the team.
We will prepare for the World Cup. We will boycott the United States but not the World Cup.
The Iranian hope, therefore, is the team be permitted to play in either Canada or Mexico, which are co-hosting with the US.
Mexico appears willing to play ball: on March 17, President Claudia Sheinbaum stated: “the nation stands prepared to host Iran’s group-stage matches should circumstances require”.
For the Iranians, the ability to take part seems more important than chasing a trophy: teams that make the final will play at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium and Iran does not wish to play in the US.
This includes making Iran’s place in the tournament vacant – which would mean a walkover for opponents – or replacing it with a team from either Iraq or the United Arab Emirates, both of which narrowly missed qualifying via the Asian Football Confederation pathway.
That said, Iraq is already scheduled to play the winner of a match between Bolivia and Suriname for a spot in the World Cup.
The UAE lost to Iraq in the relevant Asian Confederation match, yet should Iraq win its intercontinental playoff match, the team from the Emirates might be given a FIFA free kick into the World Cup.
FIFA insists it did so for operational reasons: many countries refused to play against Russia, and if games were scheduled there would be concerns about security.
Privately, Infantino might be relieved Israel did not qualify for the World Cup, as both of these considerations may have come to light in the wake of the Gaza war and more recent attacks against Lebanon and Iran.
The withdrawal (or banning) of a team from the World Cup or qualifying matches has happened on a few occasions:
In each of these cases there were no follow-up penalties by FIFA.
If Iran withdraws from the World Cup, will FIFA sanction the FFIRI and, by extension, the national men’s team? A yellow card is feasible – a financial penalty. A red card is also possible – such as exclusion from the 2030 World Cup.
However, FIFA has the discretion not to impose any penalty, especially as the circumstances go beyond sport and have no parallel in World Cup history.
Fehi Fineanganofo has scored six tries in five games.Photosport / Patrick Hoelscher
Fehi Fineanganofo is in career best form but with his future offshore, New Zealand Rugby is posed to lose one of its most in-form wings.
The Hurricanes wing has scored six tries in five games, helping power his side to the top of the Super Rugby standings. He sits second on this season’s top try scorers list, level with the NSW Waratahs flyer Max Jorgensen and just behind Brumbies loose forward Charlie Cale, who has dotted down eight times in 2026.
Fineanganofo is the leading New Zealander on the list, one try ahead of Blues and All Blacks wing Caleb Clarke.
He has made a competition leading 12 line breaks, with only the Crusaders fullback Will Jordan and Highlanders wing Caleb Tangitau having as many.
Hurricanes Josh Moorby and Fehi Fineanganofo celebrate a try.Kerry Marshall / www.photosport.nz
He has 48 carries, second only to Clarke among Kiwi wings and has run for 416 metres gained, the second most of any player in the competition behind Jordan. He also has 207 post contact metres and has made 27 tackles at a 72 percent completion rate.
Not many other wingers come close.
Clarke has five tries and 406 metres gained, Tangitau has four five pointers and 398 metes gained and Leroy Carter has four tries with four line breaks. Sevu Reece has two tries and seven line breaks.
Blues winger Caleb Clarke scores a try against the Crusaders.Brett Phibbs
Fineanganofo was also the star of last round’s Fantasy rankings, producing a remarkable 113-point performance for the Hurricanes – one of the highest individual Fantasy scores of the season. He is currently second in the competition behind Cale in Fantasy points rankings.
Fineanganofo’s performances have no doubt impressed All Blacks selectors, but it appears the 23-year-old former New Zealand Sevens player has already given up on chasing higher honours, with the winger signing a two-year deal to join English club Newcastle Red Bulls at the start of the 2026/2027 Premiership season.
He confirmed his move in February, indicating at the time the lure of a big money contract was too hard to resist.
“I just want to provide for my family and maybe try another opportunity,” he said.
Fehi Fineanganofo of the Hurricanes catches cross field kick.Elias Rodriguez / www.photosport.nz
The Hurricanes take on the Queensland Reds in Wellington on Saturday afternoon as they seek to cement themselves at the top of the standings and Fineanganofo was asked by reporters if his early Super Rugby season form had made him question his decision to leave.
“No, not really,” Fineanganofo said. “I’m just focusing on Hurricanes and then I’ll obviously go overseas.”
Fineanganofo will remain in New Zealand to the end of the NPC competition, so could potentially play for the All Blacks before he departs. He said it’s not on his radar.
“No further comment on that. Probably just focus on here (Hurricanes) again.”
So while the Hurricanes are enjoying having Fineanganofo in a purple patch of form, it’s unlikely the All Blacks will benefit.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, The War and Peace Report. I’m Amy Goodman in New York, joined by, for the first time in six years except for yesterday, Juan González, also in New York. It’s great to be with you again, Juan.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Thanks, Amy. And welcome to all of our listeners and viewers across the country and around the world.
As the US and Israel’s unprovoked war on Iran enters its 25th day, President Trump is claiming that Iran has begun negotiations with the United States, but the Iranian government has dismissed the claim as “fake news”, accusing Trump of trying to manipulate financial and oil markets.
Over the weekend, Trump threatened to, quote, “obliterate” Iranian power plants if Iran did not fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz by Monday night. But on Monday, Trump reversed course, extended his deadline to five days and repeatedly claimed the US was now in productive conversations with Iran.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: “With Iran, we’ve been negotiating for a long time. And this time, they mean business. And it’s only because of the great job that our military did, is the reason they mean business. They want to settle, and we’re going to get it done, I hope.”
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Earlier in the day, President Trump claimed he might personally take joint control of the Strait of Hormuz with Iran’s next ayatollah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: “It will be jointly controlled.”
REPORTER: “By whom?”
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: “Maybe me. Maybe me.”
REPORTER: “You want the United States to be in control of the Strait of Hormuz?”
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: “Me and the ayatollah, whoever the ayatollah is, whoever the next ayatollah — look, and there’ll also be a form of a — a very serious form of a regime change.
“Now, in all fairness, everybody has been killed from the regime. They’re really starting off. There’s automatically a regime change.
“But we’re dealing with some people that I find to be very reasonable, very solid. The people within know who they are. They’re very respected.
“And maybe one of them will be exactly what we’re looking for. Look at Venezuela, how well that’s working out. We are doing so well in Venezuela with oil and with the relationship between the president-elect and us. And maybe we find somebody like that in Iran.”
AMY GOODMAN: Despite Trump’s claims of US-Iran negotiations, US Central Command says US forces, “continue to aggressively strike,” Iran.
Meanwhile, Iran has retaliated by striking other Gulf nations and Israel. Israeli officials said Iran has launched seven missile barrages since midnight, targeting Tel Aviv and other cities. The Israeli military said one of the missiles that hit Tel Aviv carried a 220-pound warhead. Israel’s Health Ministry said nearly 4800 people have been injured by Iran’s attacks on Israel since the war began.
We go now to London, where we’re joined by Daniel Levy, president of the US/Middle East Project, former Israeli peace negotiator under Israeli Prime Ministers Ehud Barak and Yitzhak Rabin. His recent piece for Zeteo is headlined “Why Netanyahu Duped Trump Into the Illegal War With Iran.”
Well, Daniel Levy, thanks so much for being with us again. Why don’t you explain that headline?
DANIEL LEVY: Well, good to be with you, Amy and Juan.
Netanyahu himself and other Israeli leaders, although he’s been at the helm for much of the last three decades, have, during an awfully long period, told us Iran is at the precipice of becoming a nuclear power.
By the way, we should always remind ourselves, Israel is the only nuclear-armed state in the region. But they’ve been telling us, “It’s imminent. We have to act now.” And they’ve been trying to pull successive American presidents into that war, to launch such a military campaign.
They’ve never succeeded. You have had American presidents across the decades, from whichever party has been in power, who have created an extremely indulgent, permissive environment for Israel in the region, and in particular when it comes to Israel’s consistent war crimes against the Palestinians.
What you have not had is a president who could be led into this kind of a military operation. And we’re seeing right now, in almost the last month of this war, precisely why. But this president is made of different stuff, less serious stuff, apparently, and Netanyahu saw his opportunity.
But the reason, I think, why this was of such significance for Netanyahu is we are in a new era. It’s not an era of a Pax Americana with — alongside all that indulgence of Israel, there were still certain brake mechanisms. This time, Israel sees us in an era of what I would call a Pax Greater Israel.
This is about how far Israel can extend its dominion, how much of a hard-power, dominant hegemon it can be in the region, seizing parts of Syria or of Lebanon, trying to finish an eradicationist approach to the Palestinians. And crucially, to do that, you have to weaken Iran militarily, to remove some kind of deterrent.
You can only do that with the US, so you need to pull the US into this war. If that means further accelerating American decline and even accelerating Israel’s loss of support in America, then it’s a price to pay. It’s kind of “use it or lose it,” because those things are happening anyway.
In saying all of this, I don’t want to suggest that America has no agency in this. There are things to do with the Trump administration, the neocons, the people who still have positions of influence in the US that have brought them into this. But that’s what Netanyahu is trying to achieve, to achieve Greater Israel, domination in the region, including the weakening of the Gulf, which is intentional, at the expense of America bleeding further reputational, political, economic assets in this war.
Trump’s ‘Israel First’ Iran War Video: Democracy Now!
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Daniel Levy, you’ve also written that, quote, “The idea that this is a war to serve American rather than Israeli interests resonates primarily in three spaces: the gullible, the true believers (especially of end times religious [thinking]), or those who are paid-up members of Israel’s echo chamber.” Could you elaborate?
DANIEL LEVY: Yes. I think there is a lot of attention being paid to this question of who does this serve. Now, you can make the case that you also have a US government that is locked into its own kind of logic of war.
You have, if I may suggest, a decline anxiety in the US. You have an attempt to reassert primacy and preponderance. I don’t think that is or can go well. You have Marco Rubio, for instance, telling the Europeans, “Join us in the next Western century of imperial domination.”
That can perhaps play out in the Western Hemisphere — the crime committed with the kidnapping of a leader in Venezuela, the illegal blockade on Cuba. But if you travel too far afield to find monsters to slay, and if you have an incoherent strategy and an incompetent administration implementing that strategy, then things are going to go very badly wrong, which was entirely predictable in this illegal war of choice launched by the US and Israel.
And therefore, if you look at this, and even if you factor in the attempt to assert American interest, this war would not have happened if Israel’s leader had not been there whispering in the president’s ear, making the case.
[There were] seven bilateral meetings in the first 13 months of the second Trump term between Trump and Netanyahu, two meetings in the eight weeks leading up to the launching of this illegal war, daily phone calls, we are told, now information coming out in The New York Times that the Mossad apparently bamboozled Americans with the idea that if you could decapitate some of the regime leadership, the Mossad could foment a coup on the streets, that you could arm Kurdish groups from the outside to take geographical parts of Iran to start dismantling the central state.
You really have to be, therefore, either extremely gullible, as I suggested, or a true believer that, well, this is high risk, but it’s worth it, because what maybe you’re ideologically committed to, the Greater Israel cause, maybe that comes from a place of evangelical dispensationalist belief in the end times, or you simply are part of an echo chamber whose wheels are greased very consistently.
And we see that play out over so many years in American politics. That’s what I’m suggesting. And I do think that the attempt to suggest this is more than Israel first, that somehow this serves America’s interest, are not going to go well, and Israel will pay a tremendous price for that over time.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: I wanted to ask you also — there appears to have been a shift in the last few days in how the Israeli government permits damage within Israel from Iranian attacks to be publicised by the press, because, clearly, during the first two weeks of the war, Israel essentially prevented any kind of images, from the US media especially, going out to the world.
Now, in the last few days, it’s almost as if Netanyahu and the government want their own people and the rest of the world to see some of this damage. I’m wondering your thoughts about this. Has there been a change in approach or tactics by the Israeli government?
DANIEL LEVY: So, I’m not so sure. I think it’s an interesting question to dwell upon. But what one might be seeing is an inability, and therefore a degradation of credibility if Israel tries to claim that none of this destruction is happening — in other words, an inability to prevent those images from coming out — when those strikes are now causing very significant damage. I don’t want to exaggerate that, either. I don’t think that is what causes this unnecessary war to come to an end.
But what one perhaps has to look to is, if you remember, early on in the war, one of the real questions, as this became a war of endurance, almost a war of attrition, was: Could the US and Israeli side sufficiently deplete Iran’s missile-launching capacity before Iran both sufficiently degraded the interception capacity on the Israeli and US side — so they have to be a bit more selective in terms of what they use the interceptors for, because they can’t take everything out and they are going to run out — and also Iran apparently holding back some of its heavier kit, because in its strategy, it assumed this could go on for a long time, and it had to have a plan for week one, week two, week three? And so, I think, to the extent to which we’re seeing more images, it is likely because that equation hasn’t played well for the US and Israel, and because we’re seeing more damage being done.
I think you have a war where Israel has a strategy. It’s an extremely ambitious overreach strategy in terms of not regime change, but regime collapse, state collapse, implosion, the dismantling of the Iranian state, where Iran has a strategy of escalating horizontally, testing American endurance and holding out and winning that way.
But I think you’d be really hard pushed to find a coherent strategy on the US side.
AMY GOODMAN: I wanted to play a clip of President Trump speaking to reporters about US aims in negotiations.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: “No nuclear bomb, no nuclear weapon, not even close to it, low key on the missiles. We want to see peace in the Middle East. We want the nuclear dust.
“We’re going to want that, and I think we’re going to get that. We’ve agreed to that. … If this happens, it’s a great start for Iran to build itself back, and it’s everything that we want.
“And it’s also great for Israel, and it’s great for the other Middle Eastern countries.”
AMY GOODMAN: So, Daniel Levy, you are a former Israeli negotiator under two Israeli prime ministers. If you can respond to what he’s saying, and also to what Iran is saying, that the idea that there’s any negotiation going on is fake news intended to “manipulate financial and oil markets and to escape the quagmire in which America and Israel are trapped,” said the speaker of Iran’s parliament?
DANIEL LEVY: So, there are a couple of things going on here, and I want to try and disentangle those. First of all, the question of: Are negotiations taking place? And what I think is very clear is that there are channels of communication via third countries.
Those have been available all the time. Partly, one has to understand that countries in the region, who were not a party to launching this war nor to the decision to go to war, who, in fact, cautioned against this war, in the Gulf and elsewhere, they are feeling tremendous blowback and taking hits from this war, and they are keen to bring it to an end.
There may be some who, for some reason, still believe America can do the job and that they should trust America’s competence and coherence in attempting to do so. I think most are not in that camp. They know the cost is too high, and they are experiencing daily what it means to rely on America for your security, and the answer is not good.
So, there are a number of states, also beyond that — Türkiye has been super active, Pakistan, for instance, Egypt — who are maintaining open channels with both parties and obviously sending messages, because, by the way, the whole world is suffering from this — higher fuel, food, fertiliser prices, etc. So there are active channels. Are they talking directly? I don’t know. I doubt it. But I also think it doesn’t matter very much.
What matters is the question you kind of raise there, Amy, which is: Are these talks, first of all, intended to produce an outcome? Was this another American deployment of diplomacy as a ruse?
We saw in the lead-up to this war that America played with negotiations, attempted that as a distraction, but actually intended to go for the military option. So, is this trying to buy some time while the US waits for a third aircraft carrier, more of your taxpayer dollars, to be deployed in the West Asia-Middle East region?
Was this a Monday-morning pre-stock market intervention on the part of the president? Because if there’s one thing he does pay attention to, it’s that. So, was he trying to calm the markets, give himself a few more days, or is this a serious attempt to chart a path to deescalation?
If it is the latter, then that would have to include an acknowledgment that in negotiations you have to listen to the other side. You have to take into account their interests. If you go in with maximalist positions, often designed by the worst elements of maximalism in your administration and by the Israelis intentionally trying to make sure that talks cannot succeed, then — guess what — the talks won’t succeed.
So, if you think you can impose on Iran in these talks things that you couldn’t achieve in your military assault or things that they weren’t willing to accept beforehand, then the talks are doomed to fail.
The one thing that may be working to our benefit is not who might host these talks. It’s certainly not the fact that Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff might be involved, because that would be very bad news indeed, given their record of failure, if they’re the only people.
But the one piece of good news is that the loose and perhaps nonexistent relationship between what Trump says and the realities out there in the real world, that relationship means that Trump can claim what he likes, because what we’re probably looking for is three victory speeches, given in Tehran, Jerusalem and Washington, DC.
They won’t align. They won’t match up. But they might allow for a cessation and then for some of these issues to be addressed afterwards.
But as long as that doesn’t happen, we still have to contend with the fact that Israel has been driving a lot of the escalatory logic in this war. It will continue to attempt to prevent a ceasefire. It’s not alone. There are certainly American sources trying to do that, as well.
Israel is still on the impunity high from its Gaza genocide, which has led us here. And we have to contend with the fact that each time you try and get a “mission accomplished” victory image, you might escalate, leading to a further cycle of escalation, and then that can collapse any putative path out of this.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Daniel Levy, we only have about a minute left, but I wanted to ask you — while the war is continuing in Iran and Israeli forces are in Lebanon, the settlers in the West Bank continue to perpetuate violence against Palestinians, and the IDF continues to attack Palestinians in Gaza. I’m wondering your sense of how this has basically faded from the international view while the war against Iran continues.
DANIEL LEVY: Well, I wish I could say that it needed the war in Iran in order to shift attention away from this, in order for Israel to be able to continue to not be held accountable and to get away with these daily violations of international law and with these appalling atrocities against the Palestinians, but it didn’t take the war.
Israel is doing that, and it will continue to do that unless and until it is held to account, it is contained and deterred. And, of course, you also see 1 million displaced in Lebanon and the attempt, apparently, to reestablish a zone of Israeli domination there, still in control of territory in Syria, as well.
But I also want to challenge this notion that the problem in the West Bank is the settlers. There is no armed settler militia without the IDF. The settlers roam the West Bank with the active backing of Israel’s military.
Occasionally, they may call a handful of people to account and say, “No. Stop.” But most of the occupation and the entrenchment of a matrix of control and an apartheid regime, that is run not by lone settlers. That is run by the Israeli state. That is run by the IDF.
It is the IDF and the Israeli state that run that regime of control, that also, as you mentioned, despite the so-called ceasefire, are in control of about 60 percent directly of Gaza, carrying out daily military assaults, daily killings of Palestinians in Gaza, still not allowing the necessary humanitarian assistance or shelter into Gaza, and, in parallel, conducting the largest military intervention in the West Bank, the largest displacement and destruction, often focused on refugee camps, like Jenin, Tulkarm, Nur al-Shams, that we have seen since 1967.
I think this will ultimately end very badly for Israel and generate tremendous blowback. But in the meantime, it is again the Palestinians bearing the brunt.
AMY GOODMAN: Daniel Levy, we want to thank you so much for being with us, president of the US/Middle East Project, former Israeli peace negotiator under Israeli Prime Ministers Ehud Barak and Yitzhak Rabin. We’ll link to your piece in Zeteo, “Why Netanyahu Duped Trump Into the Illegal War With Iran.” You can follow Levy’s writings on his Substack.
Eden Park hosts the T20 international between the Black Caps and South Africa, 2026.Blake Armstrong / PHOTOSPORT
Venues across New Zealand can now make bids to host games during the 2028 T20 World Cup.
New Zealand and Australia will host the global tournament with up to ten venues to be selected by the end of the year.
The 20-team tournament will be held in October and November and will feature 55 games across group competition, Super Eight, semi-finals and final.
As co-hosts Australia and New Zealand are granted automatic qualification, while England, India, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies and Zimbabwe have also qualified via their progression to the Super 8 stage of the recent 2026 tournament.
Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Ireland have also secured their place at the 2028 event, as the next three highest-ranked teams.
The remaining eight places in the 20-team field will be determined through a regional qualification pathway.
Earlier this month Dame Therese Walsh was appointed chairperson of the tournament.
All of New Zealand’s main provincial venues are likely to be considered as hosts, although the timing of the tournament in October and November may rule some out of contention.
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Predator Free Wellington gets a funding boost from DOC in a push to completely eliminate predators in the capitalRNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Wellington has been officially targeted to become New Zealand’s first predator-free city.
Conservation Minister Tama Potaka made the announcement as part of the Predator Free 2050 strategy update today. It’s the first update of the strategy since the goal’s launch in 2016 under John Key’s National-led government.
Predator Free Wellington will receive $5.5 million over five years from the Department of Conservation (DOC) and will work alongside Capital Kiwi and Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne.
“This is a coordinated push across the whole city. Practical action that people will notice in their neighbourhoods, with more native species returning and thriving,” said Potaka.
The operation will target predators over 18,500 hectares. Potaka said increasing native wildlife would create opportunities for conservation-based tourism for the city.
Potaka hopes the goal will be achieved within a decade, and for the work done in Wellington to become a blueprint for efforts to eliminate predators from other large urban areas. If successful, it would mean the complete elimination of rats, possums, stoats, ferrets, weasels and feral cats from the greater Wellington region.
He listed Auckland, Taranaki and Dunedin as other places where lessons learnt in Wellington could be applied.
Country-wide, more than 9000 groups work to control predators.
“Nearly a third of New Zealanders are now directly involved. Which means for many households, predator control is now somewhere between a hobby and a competitive sport,” said Potaka.
However, some of those efforts were fragmented, which needed to change.
New Zealand has one of the highest rates of threatened species in the world, Potaka said.
“As Minister of Conservation, I am not interested in managing decline. I am interested in reversing it.”
Exisitng efforts to eliminate predators in Wellington have boosted native birdlife in parts of the citySupplied / JM BELTRAN
The strategy included information on how to determine whether a cat is a feral, stray or companion cat. Only feral cats will be targeted.
Potaka did not confirm if new rules, such as requiring domestic cats to be microchipped, would be introduced, although he said there is interest amongst some MPs in Wellington. He said if this happens it would be separate to predator free work.
Mice and hedgehogs have been added to a research list. They have a significant impact on native wildlife, particularly threatened lizard and invertebrate species, including wētā. Tools for humane removal of these species will be investigated and they may be included in the target species list in future.
Feral cats have been confirmed as added to the list of targeted speciesSupplied
The cash behind the goal
Other than the $5.5m for Wellington, no other funding announcements were made.
“There is huge funding which is channeled through DOC, whether or not it’s baseline, or through the IVL (International Visitor Levy) that contributes to Predator Free, but also there’s significant philanthropic, iwi, local community, local council support.”
He said projects were not short of funding, but that good collaboration was needed.
When Predator Free 2050 was launched in 2016, a company was created to manage projects related to the goal. It was given $28m over four years to be put toward predator control projects and technological advancements.
Last year the government disestablished the company, bringing all current contracts under the Department of Conservation. This was intended to reduce duplication between DOC and the Predator Free 2050 company and save the government $12.6m in operating costs over four years. A Cabinet paper said the company had failed to attract philanthropic funding.
An Official Information Act response shows 20 contracts ended, or are due to end in 2026, with a total value of $31.7m. Another 17 finish in 2027, with total funding of $63.4m.
Some of these projects attract funding from a variety of sources, and make use of volunteers.
Potaka said future funding will be “weighed up” across priorities within DOC. Decisions would be based on performance, readiness and alignment with the updated strategy.
One of the key actions in the strategy update is to develop long-term partnerships to fund Predator Free 2050.
It also lays out a series of milestone achievements on the way to the goal of Predator Free 2050.
By 2030:
Cost-effective and adaptable blueprints for elimination are developed for both urban and rural environments.
By 2035:
The Sub-Antarctic World Heritage Area is completely free from mammalian pests through the completion of Maukahuka Pest Free Auckland Island.
By 2040:
Mammalian pests are eliminated from at least 5 million of New Zealand’s 8.5 million hectares of backcountry and their pest-free status is maintained.
Stoats are eradicated from Waiheke Island, providing a proof of concept for urban and rural stoat elimination, where aerial bait cannot be used.
Mammalian pests are eliminated from at least 1 million hectares across rural and urban areas and their pest-free status is maintained.
By 2045:
By 2050:
The final urban eradication operation in New Zealand’s most populated city is close to completion.
New Zealand is a global leader in predator management and has a significant economic market in providing tools and advice to the world
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A number of other watches and warnings are in place across the country in what MetService is calling an “impactful” weather event.
MetService meteorologist John Law said the heaviest rainfall was expected from Northland to Bay of Plenty and its intensity and duration would bring “threat to life from dangerous river conditions, significant flooding, and slips”.
“A red warning signifies that people need to act now as immediate action is required to protect people, animals and property from the impact of the weather. People should also be prepared to follow the advice of official authorities and emergency services,” he said in a statement.
How’s the weather looking at your place? Email us at iwitness@rnz.co.nz
It was the third red level warning MetService had issued this year.
Conditions would disrupt travel, make some roads impassable, and isolate communities, it said.
The remainder of Northland is under an orange level rain warning with 150mm to 250mm of rain forecast over the same period.
MetService said there was a high chance this will be upgraded to a red level warning.
Thunderstorms are possible in the area on Thursday afternoon, it said.
Warnings and watches are in place across the country.MetService / Screenshot
MetService said the escalation to a red warning came as a deep area of low pressure from the sub-tropics approached New Zealand.
“In addition to the heavy rain, this is likely to be a multi-hazard event spanning several days with heavy rain, strong winds and large waves also expected.”
Orange level heavy rain warnings are also in place for Great Barrier Island, Auckland from Whangaparaoa northwards and Coromandel Peninsula from the early hours of Thursday morning and into Friday.
In Bay of Plenty, west of Whakatāne, an orange warning is also in place with up to 250mm of rain forecast from 9am on Thursday until 3am on Saturday.
Tauranga City Council said there was an increased risk of landslides given the recent weather.
Eight people – six at Mount Maunganui and two at Pāpāmoa – died in slips during heavy rain earlier this year.
The council said if a landslide occurred or anyone who spotted signs of ground movement should evacuate immediately. If lives were at risk call 111, it said.
The rain may cause surface flooding and rapidly rising streams and rivers so people should avoid low-lying areas and be cautious, it said.
The council said its team would be available 24/7 and people could call 07 577 7000 to report an issue.
Orange level strong wind warnings are in place for Northland from 9pm Wednesday until 11pm on Thursday and for Auckland and Great Barrier Island from 8am Thursday until 1am Friday with 120km/h gusts forecast.
South Island warnings
In the South Island, orange level heavy rain warnings are in place for Tasman west of Motueka from 10am Thursday to midday Friday and Richmond and the Bryant Ranges from 6pm Thursday to midday Friday.
Meteorologist Silvia Martino said the impacts might not be seen right away.
“This will be a long event, it carries on for a couple of days, so while we might not get to warning amounts [today], we are expecting over time that rain to build up to warning levels.”
Earlier on Wednesday, she explained forecasters would be working with local authorities to determine if a red warning was needed.
“The decision about whether to go to a red warning is one that’s made based on what the impacts are likely to be.
“What our expert forecasters will be doing is talking to the council, talking to people on the ground about what the impacts are expected to be from the amount of rain we’re forecasting, and then together they’ll make the decision about whether a red warning is appropriate.
“With the heavy rain, we’re looking out for the risk of surface flooding, of possibly areas being cut off, and reminding people to avoid floodwaters. If you can avoid travel then that’s for the best.”
Clear the gutters, put anything away that could be a source of danger from wind, Martino said.
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But what if policies could help level the playing field? And what would that mean for our health, and health-care expenditure?
Our new research, published today in The Lancet Public Health, estimates a 20% tax on unhealthy foods could prevent 212,000 premature deaths and save A$14.9 billion in health-care costs over the lifetimes of Australian adults alive today.
We estimated the health impact could be even greater if the tax revenue is used to subsidise fruit and vegetables.
What we did
By “unhealthy foods”, we mean sugary drinks, lollies, salty snacks, biscuits, pastries, processed meat and ice cream. These are the kinds of foods the Australian Dietary Guidelines says we should limit for optimal health. Yet most Australians find them hard to resist.
We modelled how taxing these foods by 20% could shift the type of food Australians buy. This could be a 20% tax on the retail price or a 20% tax applied at the point of manufacture (an excise tax). But our modelling didn’t specify the type, just that the price would increase by 20%.
We also modelled the knock-on effects on weight, blood pressure and chronic disease over the lifetimes of adults aged 20 or greater in Australia.
We then estimated what would happen if we used that revenue to subsidise fruit and vegetables, and any extra health benefits this would have.
We also looked at how these impacts could differ for households across the socio-economic spectrum – from the poorest 20% to the richest 20% – to see how taxes and subsidies might affect people in different financial situations.
What we found
We estimated the 20% tax could cut purchases of unhealthy foods by about 8–26% depending on the category.
This could lead to 660,000 fewer cases of type 2 diabetes and 787,000 fewer cases of heart disease over the remaining lifetimes of Australian adults alive today. In turn, this could prevent about 212,000 premature deaths.
The economic returns could be substantial. We estimated a total reduction of $14.9 billion in health-care costs. That’s a health-care cost saving of $781 per adult over their lifetime.
While the average Australian could pay about $139 more in tax each year, the policy could help make Australia fairer: low-income Australians could experience roughly 76% greater health benefits than high-income Australians. This is because low-income Australians bear the greatest burden of diet-related illness and could see the largest reductions in purchases of unhealthy foods.
So this measure would ease the unequal burden of obesity, diabetes and heart disease on those affected the most.
The revenue raised could also be enough to reduce the average cost of fruits and vegetables by 19–26% across the population. This could ease cost of living pressures, avert 194,000 more cases of heart disease and prevent an additional 45,000 premature deaths.
Implementing the tax and subsidy together would also come at no net cost to the government.
How does this compare to a sugar tax?
You might have heard about proposals for a “sugar tax” that taxes sugary drinks. It’s an approach the World Health Organization endorses.
But we estimated extending these taxes to unhealthy foods more broadly could deliver around seven times the health benefits.
This doesn’t mean the tax-and-subsidy package alone will fix the enormous personal and health-care costs of unhealthy diets in Australia. But our findings reinforce its potential to be a powerful policy lever the government should consider.
Australian politicians are debating a tax on sugary drinks. This is a great start, but our findings suggest Australia should consider a broader system of taxes and subsidies for much greater impact.
Public support for such measures is strong. Around 53% of Australians support a tax on unhealthy foods, rising to around 72–74% if the revenue is used to subsidise fruit and vegetables.
Given unhealthy diets and being overweight now drive more chronic disease than smoking, we should be considering equally sensible measures – including food taxes and subsidies – to help Australians act on their best intentions at the supermarket.
A Jetstar NZ spokesperson said 12 percent of scheduled services had been impacted, including some services between Auckland and Christchurch as well as Auckland and Wellington, and some international flights between Auckland and Sydney and Auckland and Brisbane.
The changes were temporary, the spokesperson said, due to the rise in jet fuel prices and other rising costs.
All impacted customers had been contacted directly, the spokesperson said, and most had been offered same-day travel.
Air New Zealand said it had nine services to Samoa each week and described the change as “minimal”.
It said like other airlines it was dealing with unprecedented volatility with jet fuel prices due to the conflict in the Middle East and was adjusting schedules to manage the impact.
Air New Zealand earlier said that it would cancel around 1100 flights from early March through until early May, but that most passengers would be moved to flights on the same day.
Reuters reports jet fuel prices have soared from US$85-90 per barrel to US$150-200 per barrel in recent days leading to a number of airlines including Air New Zealand increasing fuel surcharges.
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Methamphetamine has become dramatically cheaper over the past seven years, even as authorities report record seizures, according to the latest New Zealand Drug Trends Survey.
The annual online survey of over 8,800 people who use drugs shows wholesale prices of the illegal and harmful substance (per gram sold to dealers) have fallen by 41%, while street-level “point” prices (0.1 gram retail deals) have dropped by 27%.
Once adjusted for inflation, the declines are closer to 50%. A gram of meth that cost an average of $563 in 2017 now sells for about $253 in inflation-adjusted terms in 2025.
This trend is striking because retail prices of illegal drugs often remain unchanged for years. For example, a cannabis “tinny” (about 1–1.5 grams) has typically cost $20–25 in New Zealand for more than two decades, reflecting the need for quick and simple transactions.
The sustained price falls therefore point to deeper changes in how the methamphetamine market is operating. Australia has recently observed a similar pattern.
Importantly, the shift can’t be attributed to any changes in drug purity. Recent testing suggests average purity levels often exceed 70%, approaching the theoretical maximum of about 80% for the hydrochloride salt form.
In other words, methamphetamine is not only cheaper, but often highly potent.
Already, the drug is estimated to cause hundreds of millions of dollars in harm to New Zealand communities, through impacts to hospital emergency departments, mental health and drug treatment systems and social services – and to users themselves in terms of lives derailed and family relationships fractured.
All of this raises critical questions: what is driving these price drops, how long will they continue and what might they ultimately mean for meth’s social toll?
Competition, enforcement or demand?
We can point to several factors that might be contributing to the falling prices.
Illegal drug markets are often assumed to be controlled by organised crime groups who are able to keep prices high. But the widespread price declines across New Zealand – including in regions with the strongest gang presence – suggest the market remains competitive.
Could the price drops reflect sellers feeling they face less risk of arrest? Given New Zealand Police and Customs have been reporting record seizures every year since 2019, that doesn’t seem plausible.
In 2019, the law was changed to direct police not to arrest people found with small amounts of drugs unless it was in the public interest. While this may have reduced enforcement risk for users, it was not intended to change the situation for dealers selling grams.
If anything, the policy partly aimed to free up resources to focus on suppliers.
We might also assume that meth has simply become cheaper to make. With multiple ways to synthesise methamphetamine using different precursor chemicals, manufacturers may have found lower-cost methods over time.
But production costs can make up only a fraction of the final street price, with large mark-ups added along the distribution chain. That means even big savings in production may have little effect on retail prices.
Might the trend signal fewer buyers? Methamphetamine might well be reaching the end of its “product cycle” as cocaine gains popularity. Yet wastewater data show meth consumption doubled in late 2024 – hardly an indication of falling demand.
Are cartels the culprit?
The most convincing explanation lies away from New Zealand’s shores, in new global sources of methamphetamine supply.
New Zealand and Australia have traditionally sourced methamphetamine from lawless regions of Asia known as the Golden Triangle. More recently, however, growing seizures have been linked to Mexican drug cartels, often transiting through Canada.
Australian authorities say these cartels can supply methamphetamine at less than one-third the price of Asian producers and that about 70% of seized meth now originates from North America.
It may also explain the rising supply of cocaine in New Zealand, with Mexican cartels deeply involved in global cocaine trafficking. Methamphetamine trafficked from Mexico is also often routed through Pacific Island countries such as Fiji, Tonga and Samoa, which have strong trade, transport and cultural links with New Zealand.
On top of this, digital drug markets – including darknets and social media sales – may be lowering the cost of finding alternative sellers and better deals, increasing competition and pushing prices down.
This may also explain why methamphetamine is not the only drug to experience price declines in recent years.
We have also tracked substantial falls in the price of MDMA (ecstasy), a drug increasingly purchased via social media. Digital drug markets may also reduce the need for multiple layers of local distribution, lowering costs.
While we believe Mexican cartel supply is the most likely driver of methamphetamine price declines, the other explanations cannot be ruled out.
More research is needed to better understand the supply-and-demand implications and effects of changes in enforcement intensity, risk of violence and victimisation, production costs, price formation and modern digital drug markets.
Untangling these forces will be the focus of our future work, helping policymakers to respond more effectively to what remains one of New Zealand’s most damaging illegal drug.
Warriors winger Roger Tuivasa-Sheck has been linked to a move to the Super League in 2027.Photosport / Andrew Cornaga
Warriors winger Roger Tuivasa-Sheck is reportedly leaving the club at the end of the current NRL season.
The Daily Telegraph in Australia is reporting the superstar will join Wakefield Trinity in the UK Super League on a multi-million-dollar contract.
Tuivasa-Sheck remains one of the biggest names at the franchise.
He won the Dally M Medal in 2018, the Golden Boot in 2019, and the Simon Mannering Medal four times, most recently in 2025.
A dual-international having played for the Kiwis and All Blacks, Tuivasa-Sheck returned to the Warriors in 2024 after a stint in union.
In 2024 he switched his international allegiance to Toa Samoa.
Rumours have been rife that the Warriors have secured Melbourne wing Will Warbrick for the 2027 season, increasing competition in their already stacked back three stocks.
RTS has been named to start on the wing for the Warriors round four clash in Auckland on Friday night.
The side sit atop the NRL ladder with a perfect three wins from three to kick off their campaign.
Wakefield’s Super League season is also underway, the side in sixth spot with three wins after five rounds.
Warriors coach Andrew Webster will speak to media later on Wednesday.
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A big swell pounds the Paihia shoreline during a previous storm.Peter de Graaf
Business owners around Northland’s east coast are hunkering down for what promises to be a wet and wild few days.
Anthony “Vinnie” Pivac, the owner of Zane Grey’s Restaurant on the Paihia waterfront, said the predicted 50 knot easterly gusts could be damaging – but it was the sea he was keeping a close eye on.
When Cyclone Gabrielle caused $100,000 worth of damage and lost contracts in 2023, that came down to a combination of strong winds and a 7-metre swell.
So far the swell was forecast to reach just 2.5m, he said.
“If it had swell behind this easterly then I would be panicking, but it’s not going to be too bad. On the flip side of things, we’re just going to have today and tomorrow of horrendous rain and no customers,” he said.
“But for now we’re sitting cosy. I’m going to sit here, have a few beers and see what happens on either side of the tide.”
However, Pivac said he would keep monitoring the forecast and was not taking anything for granted.
“Mate, we’re in New Zealand, so the weather changes every five minutes.”
MetService has issued a red rain warning for Northland east of Kaikohe from Doubtless Bay to Whangārei on Wednesday morning with up to 320mm of rain now expected by Friday morning.
File picRNZ / Sam Olley
Any time the swell reached 4m he removed parts of the decking around the restaurant to reduce the impact of the waves, but that was not necessary at this point.
Pivac said the most damaging winds for Paihia were northeasterlies. Easterly winds were bad if they coincided with big swells.
“Anything from the north, it’s hold onto your britches,” he said.
The next high tides were due in the Bay of Islands around 1.20pm on Wednesday and 2am and 2.20pm on Thursday.
Heavy seas pound Paihia wharf during Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023.RNZ / Peter de Graaf
Power cuts a concern
Meanwhile, Richard Holt, the owner of Cellini’s Ice Cream and Espresso Bar on nearby Williams Road, said power cuts caused by wild weather were the biggest threat to his business.
He had invested in a bunker freezer to keep ice cream cold in the event of a serious power outage – but if it lasted more than eight or nine hours, he would still lose his stock.
Holt said he did not expect to sell many ice creams in Paihia today but there had been plenty of demand for coffee this morning.
Further down the east coast in Ōakura, in the Whangārei District, residents still recovering from the devastating January storm are preparing for more rain.
That deluge swept through multiple homes and baches, triggered landslides, and severely damaged the newly renovated Ōakura Community Hall.
The Whangārei District Council had planned to hold a public meeting on Thursday afternoon to update locals on storm recovery efforts.
That meeting had now been postponed until 6pm on Tuesday at the Ōakura Sports Complex.
The main road from Ōakura south to Whangārei remained closed due to a massive slip at Helena Bay Hill, and eight homes and buildings were still red-stickered, meaning they were too dangerous to enter.
Warning lifted to red
MetService has raised its orange warning to the highest level of red on Wednesday morning.
Up to 320mm of rain could fall in Northland east of Kaikohe from Doubtless Bay to Whangārei from 3pm on Wednesday to 4am on Friday, MetService is warning.
The remainder of Northland is under an orange level rain warning with 150mm to 250mm of rain forecast over the same period.
Red Rain Warning issued for Northland
Significant rainfall is expected for Northland over the next two days with 270-320 mm of rain expected for eastern areas. There is the potential for downpours from training bands of very heavy rain from Thursday afternoon. pic.twitter.com/9VRVMQNN1K
Regional confidence was led by Gisborne/Hawke’s Bay, Canterbury and Southland.123rf
Employment confidence has risen to a two-year high as people’s perceptions about job availability improved.
The Westpac-McDermott Miller Employment Confidence Index rose 1.8 points to 95.6 in the March quarter. However, a reading below 100 means pessimists still outweigh optimists.
Westpac senior economist Michael Gordon said perceptions about job availability – a measure closely related to the unemployment rate – continued to improve this quarter.
“The survey results, taken on their own, would be consistent with the unemployment rate having reached its peak, and perhaps even begun falling, in the early part of this year,” Gordon said.
He said recent evidence also pointed to a pick-up in businesses’ hiring intentions as the economy started to get back on its feet.
However, the survey found households were still cautious about current and future pay rises, and about job security over the year ahead.
Confidence was highest among private-sector employees, rising 7.5 points to 103.5, according to Imogen Rendall, Market Research Director at McDermott Miller.
“In contrast, public sector employees’ confidence dipped slightly by 1.2 points to 95.6,” Rendall said.
Regional confidence was led by Gisborne/Hawke’s Bay, Canterbury and Southland.
Confidence in Auckland and Wellington remained subdued, although the capital posted a sharp rise from 80.5 to 90.8.
Gordon cautioned that the survey period – 1 to 12 March – was during the early days of the Iran conflict, when households and employers may not yet have been aware of its full economic consequences.
“As such, it’s unclear whether this confidence will be maintained in the months ahead, in what is an uncertain and rapidly evolving situation,” he said.
The survey was carried out in early March with a sample size of 1550, and had a margin of error of 2.5 percent.
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Ioana Barbu was running a 200km race through the imposing and remote Tian Shan mountains in Kyrgyzstan when things took a turn for the worse.
A huge storm drifted in, pelting her with hail and sending temperatures down from 35 degrees celsius to between five and 10 in a matter of minutes.
High winds had blown the course markers away from the race trail, and many competitors developed hypothermia and were forced to drop out. But Barbu was still fixated on running — so much so that she had not noticed a wild dog chasing her until she felt its bite.
Ioana Barbu in the Amazon rainforest, Peru, June 2025.
Beyond the Ultimate
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There are a number of red and orange level weather warnings out for the top of the North Island.MetService / Screenshot
Up to 320mm of rain could fall in Northland east of Kaikohe from Doubtless Bay to Whangārei from 3pm on Wednesday to 4am on Friday, MetService is warning.
MetService is calling it an “impactful” weather event.
It said there could be a threat to life from dangerous river conditions, along with significant flooding and slips. Conditions will disrupt travel, make some roads impassable, and isolate communities, it said.
The remainder of Northland is under an orange level rain warning with 150mm to 250mm of rain forecast over the same period.
How’s the weather looking at your place? Email us at iwitness@rnz.co.nz
MetService said there was a high chance this will be upgraded to a red level warning.
Thunderstorms are possible in the area of Thursday afternoon, it said.
Red Rain Warning issued for Northland
Significant rainfall is expected for Northland over the next two days with 270-320 mm of rain expected for eastern areas. There is the potential for downpours from training bands of very heavy rain from Thursday afternoon. pic.twitter.com/9VRVMQNN1K
Orange level heavy rain warnings are also in place for Great Barrier Island, Auckland from Whangaparaoa northwards and Coromandel Peninsula from the early hours of Thursday morning and into Friday.
In Bay of Plenty, west of Whakatāne, an orange warning is also in place with up to 250mm of rain forecast from 9am on Thursday until 3am on Saturday.
Orange level strong wind warnings are in place for Northland from 9pm Wednesday until 11pm on Thursday and for Auckland and Great Barrier Island from 8am Thursday until 1am Friday.
In the South Island, orange level heavy rain warnings are in place for Tasman west of Motueka from 10am Thursday to midday Friday and Richmond and the Bryant Ranges from 6pm Thursday to midday Friday.
Meteorologist Silvia Martino said the impacts might not be seen right away.
“This will be a long event, it carries on for a couple of days, so while we might not get to warning amounts [today], we are expecting over time that rain to build up to warning levels.”
She explained forecasters would be working with local authorities to determine if a red warning was needed.
“The decision about whether to go to a red warning is one that’s made based on what the impacts are likely to be.
“What our expert forecasters will be doing is talking to the council, talking to people on the ground about what the impacts are expected to be from the amount of rain we’re forecasting, and then together they’ll make the decision about whether a red warning is appropriate.
“With the heavy rain, we’re looking out for the risk of surface flooding, of possibly areas being cut off, and reminding people to avoid floodwaters. If you can avoid travel then that’s for the best.”
Clear the gutters, put anything away that could be a source of danger from wind, Martino said.
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Investment app business Sharesies says updated economic modelling indicates the lift in the default contribution to KiwiSaver will fall short of a no-frills retirement for nearly half of retirees.
From 1 April, new default employee and employer KiwiSaver contributions come into effect, with an increase to 3.5 percent from 3 percent, with a National Party proposal to further increase to 4 percent in two years’ time, followed by increments of 0.5 percent in following years, taking the contribution to 6 percent, or 12 percent on a combined basis.
“The Government needs to be commended for raising contribution rates,” Sharesies KiwiSaver head Matt
Macpherson.
“However, averages don’t tell the whole story, which is why we turned to real world data to see the impact on everyone and not just the average person.
“What was clear is that rising contributions mainly benefit those who can already afford it.”
Macpherson said the voluntary contribution scheme, which attracted matching contributions from employers, disadvantaged people on low incomes, who were not able to save for retirement and therefore received no employer-contribution.
He said one way to improve the situation would be to make employer contributions compulsory for all New Zealanders in work.
“No matter which pathway we opt for, our numbers show that relying just on increasing contributions risks entrenching inequality.”
What the report says
The Sharesies report indicates half of its members would fall short of a no-frills retirement lifestyle, as defined by a Massey University assessment of at least $705 a week for “basic standard of living which includes few, if any, luxuries.”
Sharesies report indicates a modest increase in the default contribution rate to 4 percent would be helpful, but “still insufficient to close the retirement savings gap for most members.
“At National’s proposed 6 percent default setting, with matched employer contributions . . . the median weekly income from KiwiSaver funds would increase from $708 to $798.”
However it says even that would fall short of a no-frills lifestyle for 40 percent of pensioners, or more than 2 out of 5 people.
“Strikingly, even a young personʼs balance, with more time for returns to compound, still falls short and we can see this because the Sharesies database tends to skew younger,” Macpherson said.
Sharesies findings also aligned with the 2022 Review of Retirement Income Policies, which emphasised 40 percent of people over 65 and over relied almost entirely on NZ Super.
“Given that our sample is younger, which would in theory make our projection more optimistic, this strongly
indicates that a significant proportion of members will not have enough for a basic retirement,” the Sharesies report says.
“Furthermore, while increasing the contribution rate does improve outcomes, a significant share of members would still not reach a basic standard of living in retirement.
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New Zealand is an expensive country, Reserve Bank chief economist Paul Conway says, with many products priced well above the OECD average.
And some things – such as construction services, household utilities and some food items – are among the most expensive in the OECD.
Conway spoke to the National Financial Advisers Conference in Auckland on Wednesday.
He said inflation had been one of the most obvious economic disruptions over the past few years, particularly over the pandemic, when demand combined with a lack of supply sent inflation soaring at the sharpest rate in decades.
He said people were still asking why everything felt so expensive, even though inflation was much nearer the Reserve Bank’s targets than it had been.
Conway said, since the start of the pandemic, overall prices had risen by 26 percent and the price of some essentials had increased much more.
Reserve Bank chief economist Paul ConwaySupplied
Wages rose 32 percent but that increase was probably not evenly felt – people who moved jobs were more likely to have received larger wage increases.
Conway said that for the past five years, one or more of a range of everyday household essentials that were hard to avoid had been increasing strongly in price at almost every point. “That included prices for council rates, construction services, some foods – including meat and butter, and insurance.
“Because households cannot easily avoid some of these costs, this has no doubt added to the sense of a ‘cost-of-living crisis’.”
RNZ / Unsplash
Rates, insurance and gas had jumped particularly in recent years.
Tobacco products were among the most expensive in the OECD and milk, cheese, eggs and fruit prices were well above the average. Seafood, clothing, and meat were slightly below average.
“For services, the price of construction in New Zealand is the highest in the OECD and more than double the average. This is undoubtedly a handbrake on housing and infrastructure development here. In fact, the price of ‘capital formation’ – which covers machinery, equipment and construction – is 70 percent above average in New Zealand and also the highest in the OECD. The price of housing services and utilities in New Zealand is also assessed as being the most expensive in the OECD.”
He said low and stable inflation mattered for the cost of living but it was not the whole story.
The price of construction in New Zealand is the highest in the OECD and more than double the average.Supplied/ Unsplash – Josh Olalde
Monetary policy – such as the official cash rate set by the Reserve Bank – could help to anchor prices but not make New Zealand affordable on its own. He acknowledged that inflation ended 2025 just above the Reserve Bank’s 1 percent to 3 percent target band and was likely to be more elevated because of the Middle East conflict.
He said what mattered for households was their purchasing power.
Before 2020, the purchasing power of wages in New Zealand was growing faster than the OECD average on the back of strong employment growth and favourable terms of trade.
“Today, while wage purchasing power is around average across all 38 OECD members countries, it is about 20 percent below the average of the more advanced OECD economies that we typically compare ourselves to.”
Productivity the key
For there to be continued sustained improvements in purchasing power, there would have to be more productivity, he said.
Real per capita income in New Zealand was below the OECD average, he noted. It had been about 80 percent of the average until the mid-2000s then increased to more than 95 percent by 2020.
“Since 2020, real income in New Zealand has fallen back to around 90 percent of the OECD average and the income gap vis-à-vis Australia has widened. Purchasing power, as measured by real income, has not kept pace with the rest of the OECD nor Australia since the beginning of the pandemic.”
Wages had declined less compared to the OECD average and were at best average, he said.
“Importantly, this is compared to all 38 current OECD member countries, which includes several emerging economies. Compared to the 30 OECD member countries in 2010, average incomes in New Zealand sit around 20 percent below the average.”
He said productivity growth would be the single most powerful determinant of higher real incomes and better purchasing power over the long run.
“New Zealand’s productivity performance leaves much to be desired and has lagged other OECD economies. Further, productivity growth in the New Zealand economy fell significantly following the global financial crisis and has been negative in the wake of the pandemic.
“While low and stable inflation is a key ingredient in lifting productivity and improving purchasing power, it is insufficient on its own. By anchoring prices, monetary policy creates the conditions for growth. But sustained gains in purchasing power require structural improvements in the economy.”
The conflict in the Middle East is a timely reminder of how quickly geopolitics can disrupt the global economy, Reserve Bank chief economist Paul Conway says.AFP / Atta Kenare
Measures to improve resilience
He said a more fragmented and unpredictable global economy would raise the stakes for ensuring New Zealand’s structural policies were resilient, adaptive and fit for purpose.
“We are in a new era of heightened geopolitical risk and persistent uncertainty, with the conflict in the Middle East a timely reminder of how quickly geopolitics can disrupt the global economy. At the same time, cross-country flows of trade, capital, and people are shifting, governments are becoming more interventionist, and the rules-based order that once underpinned global integration has weakened considerably.
“This is not a temporary shock that we can simply wait out. It’s a durable shift that makes the global economy more difficult and dangerous for small economies like New Zealand. We are more exposed to external shocks, fragile global supply chains, and shifts in global rules and norms over which we have little control.”
He said sustaining living standards would depend on structural policy settings that built resilience into the structure of the economy by encouraging flexibility, investment and adaption.
“A more resilient and flexible economy would mean monetary policy does not have to work as hard, or be as aggressive, to stabilise inflation as shocks wash through the economy.
“While monetary policy plays a critical role in responding to shocks, it cannot solve New Zealand’s ‘cost-of-living crisis’. Low and stable inflation underpins economic stability and is critical for sustained gains in purchasing power. But monetary policy does not create prosperity directly. It creates the conditions in which prosperity can endure.
“Improving the purchasing power of New Zealand households requires improved productivity. Productivity gains support stronger real wage growth, while competitive markets help keep price increases in check… stronger productivity raises the economy’s speed limit – allowing faster growth without inflation. A more resilient and flexible economy also means monetary policy doesn’t need to be as aggressive to keep inflation stable when shocks hit.”
Some Meridian customers have complained of increases in the cost of the power they use for their electric vehicles – but interest in electric cars overall is booming.
A number of EV owners have taken to social media to question increases in the power company’s Electric Vehicle Power Plan.
One was told that when his plan renewed on 1 May he would be put on a new fixed rate plan, which would mean more than 50 percent increases on the day and night rates, and a 30 percent increase on the daily fixed charge.
Another said the increase could add hundreds to his monthly power bill.
Meridian said some customer plans were changing.
“Our EV plan offers a fixed rate for two years and we recently communicated with some customers whose term is coming to an end about their new offer. As you know, beyond our own costs there have also been substantial increases from lines and distribution networks over the last couple of years and this is another flow-on effect of that.”
Mike Casey, chief executive of Rewiring Aotearoa, said he had been contacted by people about the changes, too.
“What is driving these increasing costs is probably not actually Meridian themselves, but the cost to transport the electrons or the power from the power plants all the way to your home, and that’s namely the poles and wires.
“What we’ve seen very recently is the Commerce Commission allowing for much higher expenditure and much higher charging of customers for the maintenance and the growth of our poles and wire network in New Zealand.”
He said it would have been nice if the power company had “read the room a little bit” in the context of fuel prices increasing quickly.
“We have a really big opportunity here to convert a lot of drivers over to electric, and the news that energy into electric vehicles is also going up isn’t really what we want to be hearing right now.
“We want to be trying to encourage as many drivers into electric vehicles as possible because they will save a lot of money.
“The key thing here is even with the prices going up, the savings potential is absolutely huge. All this increase in Meridian’s prices are absolutely dwarfed by what’s going on the fossil fuel market at the moment, so I hope that New Zealanders, even though they see price rises on both options, that they realise how small one price rise is compared to the other price rise at the moment.”
He said charging an electric vehicle off the normal grid would cost the equivalent of about $1.50 a litre. “If you charge an electric vehicle off your rooftop with your solar, you’re probably paying close to $1.15 a litre … compared to what $3.30, $3.50 a litre, whatever it might be at the moment, you can see there’s still incredible savings by going electric.”
Westpac New Zealand managing director of institutional and business banking Reuben Tucker said demand for electric vehicles through the bank’s greater choices home loan top up and other loans for electric vehicles had soared.
“In the last two weeks the number of applications for EVs through these products has roughly doubled,” he said.
“We’re the only bank to offer interest-free lending on EVs and chargers, which is a key way we can help customers manage higher living costs not just now but in case of future events.”
Trade Me said people were also motivated to look for ways to become independent with their homes.
Searches for “off-grid” properties were up 68 percent year-on-year in the last month.
First-term Dunedin councillor Benedict Ong has been asked to resign by his colleagues for breaching the code of conduct.
Ong criticised a council staff member in an email to the council’s chief executive and two local journalists last month.
An independent investigation found he seriously breached the Dunedin City Council’s code of conduct.
The council this morning endorsed the investigation’s finding and agreed to sanction Mr Ong.
Mayor Sophie Barker asked him to resign – a motion supported by a vast majority of councillors.
Ong was given an opportunity to speak, describing what was happening as “my trial” before reading an excerpt from Franz Kafka’s The Trial – a book where a man was accused of a crime he did not commit.
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Laskeys Auto Service in Paihiatua.Charlotte Cook/RNZ
It’s an easy alternative for most, fuel prices jump so you make use of public transport, or pedal power, but for many small towns around New Zealand it’s simply not an option.
Petrol prices have increased by almost $1 per litre on average in the past month, according to price tracker Gaspy, and diesel even more, as global energy markets react to Iran’s military grip on the Strait of Hormuz following the war launched by the US and Israel.
Prices rise at Laskeys Auto ServiceCharlotte Cook/RNZ
But for those in the small rural towns, they have little choice but to carry on.
Richard was in Featherston fuelling up at the sole Mobil station. Diesel was at $2.99 while 91 sat at $3.29 per litre.
When asked how he was feeling about the price rises he said, he didn’t know. Why? Because he doesn’t look at them.
“Never have, not for years, as soon as it went over $2 it was a waste of time looking at it.”
He said no point fighting what you can’t change.
In small town Eketāhuna there is just one gas stationed, owned by the same people as the Four Square, a book store, a couple of op shops and an information centre.
It’s at least 30 minutes to the nearest grocery store.
One local said having a car was essential.
“I think people are going to have to look at car sharing, or going without a car.
“I’ll have to extra careful, probably only go into Masterton for essentials, maybe once a fortnight rather than once a week.”
Even doing that creates a difficulty, trying to pay for two weeks worth of groceries in a bid to save fuel costs, she said.
“It’s not great, it’s pretty scary.”
There’s also no public transport in Eketāhuna to alleviate the stress, something Kevin Ashwell from Woodville knows all about.
He owns Woodville Mart and said the situation was dire, the main road is closed for roadworks on top of a fuel crisis keeping people away.
Kevin Ashwell’s shopCharlotte Cook/RNZ
“It’s cruel, it puts the price of everything up.
“I’ve never seen so many people short of money, they are now ‘do I pay the insurance?’, ‘no,I won’t because I can’t afford it’ and that’s not going to get any better with a fuel price increase.”
“We have no alternative, we have to drive.
“Everyone uses fuel, we don’t have public transport, no trains, busses, we can’t get a taxi.”
In Paihiatua, Kevin Laskey was seeing a different side of the crisis. He’s owned Laskey’s Auto and petrol station for 26 years and said the last two weeks had been very interesting.
“Record sales on some days and then not much sales the next days when the fuel prices jumps, I’ve never seen it jump 30 odd cents before in one hit.”
Kevin Laskey has owned Laskey’s Auto and petrol station for 26 years.Charlotte Cook/RNZ
He said supply had been ok, but he was astonished by how differently people were purchasing.
“We have the supermarket fuel dockets, 8 cents a litre off at New World, and that’s doubled, everyone is using them if they can to save a little bit.
“People are sorta hearing that there is going to be a price increase and all of a sudden the sales goes up.”
Lucky for Laskey he also sells bike parts, which are also coming in handy.
“I just had a customer come in and buy a bikeseat to get the old bike going so he can ride out to Fonterra, so that’s going to happen potentially more and more.”
In Masterton, one man said he was just trying to keep his vehicle going, well, cause he had to.
“I put $25 in and it’s not even showing.
“I’ve gotta keep the bloody thing going, can’t do much about the situation … I’ve got to drive.”
He laughed as he said he can’t cry about it, as that wouldn’t help either.
Wellingtonian Dean Tredray was in Greytown with his 1946 Chevrolet Pick up. He said the fuel prices didn’t bother him.
“I’d be happy to pay double to stop them, to stop the Iranians.”
Dean Treadray in Greytown with his 1946 ChevroletCharlotte Cook/RNZ
Tredray also had no plans of changing his habits.
“Fuel is like beer, you have to have it”
It’s not the same story for Aimee. She’s become a frequent flyer at the Foxton Waitomo trying to keep her tank as full as possible for the cheapest price.
“I’ve sort of got a plan right now, if my lever or metre goes down just one line I’ll fill it up.
“Instead of buying some snacks for my kids I have to cut down, and that really breaks my heart because I want to feed them more, that’s their joy, the food.”
She was worried what she would have to cut next if the prices continued to rise.
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Farmers in the thick of harvest are being reminded there are small changes they can make to save on fuel.
In the regions farmers, growers and rural contractors are feeling the pain of rising fuel prices.
The rising cost of diesel is adding thousands of dollars to the bills of those running trucks, tractors and big machines like combine harvesters.
Chris Smith who is technology manager at the Foundation of Arable Research said there were small changes that could be made to save on fuel, like using auto-steer which is like cruise control.
“Manual driving inevitably means overlaps, often five to ten percent across a typical day’s work.
“Auto steer trims that down dramatically, usually to between one and three percent. This small adjustment in accuracy brings a surprisingly large payoff. Straighter passes don’t just look tidier, they reduce throttle variation, lower operator fatigue, and keep machinery working more efficiently.”
Smith said fertiliser prices were also increasing but there was technology that allowed farmers to put fertiliser only where it was needed which could result in big savings.
Even a basic guidance system typically knocked two to seven percent off chemical or fertiliser use.
“The real step change comes from variable rate application, across a set of typical New Zealand paddocks, nitrogen savings of five to 20 percent aren’t unusual, while phosphate and potash can drop by ten to 25 percent.
“Lime is often the standout, with well mapped paddocks showing reductions of 20 to 50 percent as oversupplied zones are corrected rather than blanket treated.”
Smith said another thing farmers and growers should keep in mind was that sometimes the biggest tractor didn’t need to be used.
“There’s very much a tendency when a job needs doing, people jump in the biggest tractor with the most gadgets. It’s the most comfortable but just remember the bigger tractors cost more to run – there are usually smaller machines that can do the job just as well and save you money.”
Smith said the key message was that small refinements, applied consistently, could deliver significant savings.
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Police said officers saw live ammunition in the drivers lap after they crashed.RNZ / Marika Khabazi
A man with two handguns and a large amount of ammunition has been arrested after barricading himself in a vehicle following a crash in northern Waikato this morning.
Police spotted a vehicle – reported as being stolen at gun point – on Dominion Road about 11.40 pm on Tuesday night.
The Eagle helicopter tracked the vehicle after it evaded a police stop and drove at high speed – with lights off – through south Auckland.
The vehicle crashed into wire barriers shortly after being spiked further south near Te Kauwhata.
Inspector Grant Tetzlaff said officers saw live ammunition in the drivers lap after they crashed – following being spiked – further south near Te Kauwhata.
The man was tasered before being extracted and was transported to Waikato Hospital in a moderate condition after receiving injuries from a dog bite during his arrest.
A search of the vehicle located two handguns and a large amount of live ammunition.
The man will face charges of failing to stop, reckless driving, receiving, possession of firearms and resisting arrest.
Police said they would not rule out further charges.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Emergency services are at the scene of a crash that’s left a car upside down in a stream in rural Wellington.
Police, Fire and Emergency and Wellington Free Ambulance were called to the crash in Mākara just after 8am.
Fire and Emergency shift manager Alex Norris said crews arrived to find a car partially submerged in the stream on Mākara Beach Road – a narrow, winding road between Karori and Mākara Beach.
He said one truck was still at the scene but police were handling the response.
Wellington Free Ambulance also responded, but it has referred inquiries to police due to the nature of the incident.
The police could not yet say if people were injured.
Mākara Village cattery owner Cody Stephens said he saw police cars and a fire engine fly past his property this morning, heading towards the beach.
More to come…
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey said 514 new mental health and addiction professionals trained over the past year.RNZ / Mark Papalii
More mental health and addiction workers are training and entering the workforce meaning shorter wait times for patients, according to the government’s latest data on targets.
The targets, set in 2025
80 percent of people accessing specialist mental health and addiction services are seen within three weeks
80 percent of people accessing primary mental health and addiction services through the Access and Choice programme are seen within one week
95 percent of mental health and addiction related emergency department presentations are admitted, discharged, or transferred from an emergency department within six hours
Train 500 mental health and addiction professionals each year
25 percent of mental health and addiction investment is allocated towards prevention and early intervention
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey said the workforce had increased more than 11 percent since he came into office.
There were 514 new mental health and addiction professionals trained over the past year, exceeding the target of 500 and up from 457 when reporting started, he said.
These roles included occupational therapists, social workers, registered nurses, clinical psychology interns, and Stage 1 psychiatry trainees.
Seventy-four clinical psychology interns had been funded, exceeding the 2025 target of 60.
“We are also seeing record uptake in psychiatry training, with 48 junior doctors entering Stage 1 training last year, up from 33 in 2024,” he said.
Travelling around the country, Doocey said, the most common complaint he heard was that long wait times were preventing people accessing support – and those wait lists were long because of staff shortages, he said.
Growing the workforce included attracting international talent, and retaining existing staff.
Renumeration was one consideration, he said, but most of these workers were attracted to a profession in which they could make a difference.
“Something I heard loud and clear when I first came into office is there was a lot of burnout. People were, quite frankly, covering too many vacant roles and that was leading people to leave. So now we’ve [been] able to greatly reduce our vacancy rates, more people are staying satisfied and staying in-role longer.”
The effect for patients
“A recent report from the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission backs that wait times have decreased due to there being more specialist mental health workers compared to March 2023,” Doocey said.
Nationally, 83 percent of people were being seen within one week for primary mental health support, and nearly 82 percent of people seeking specialist support were seen within three weeks – both exceeding the target of 80 percent.
Funding
For the first time, they had hit the target for 25 percent of mental health funding – about $2.8 billion – to be spent on prevention and early intervention.
That guaranteed money was being spent on things like support in schools, or at the perinatal and postnatal stages for maternal mental health, Doocey said.
“It’s vitally important,” he said. “Historically in mental health what we would do is wait for someone to get into a time of crisis before we provided them with a level of service, and that classically took someone who had lifelong and enduring mental illness to about the age of 35 or 40 before they’d first engage.”
Early intervention could prevent issues from escalating later, he said.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
