Independent Analysis and Reportage
Source: Radio New Zealand Labour leader Chris Hipkins says bigger government departments aren’t always more efficient than smaller departments. RNZ / Marika Khabazi Labour leader Chris Hipkins says public servant caps can be “arbitrary” and bigger government departments aren’t always better at doing the job, as the finance minister looks to downsize the public service.…
Source: Radio New Zealand A Dunedin blind woman is turning trash into treasure while supporting animals in need. Psychotherapist Megan Turnbull began losing her vision because of tumours on her retinas and was blind by the time she was three. What started as a hobby about a decade ago has become a weekly donation of…
Source: Radio New Zealand Australia’s latest government Budget has prompted some strong reactions. 123rf A recent headline in The Australian newspaper declared: Budget increases New Zealand’s appeal as a tax haven. It said, with no capital gains tax, no stamp duty or land tax, and the opportunity to negatively gear, business owners and property investors…
Source: Radio New Zealand Manufacturer Taylorson denied that its sleeping pods represented an “inherent or widespread danger” and said they were safe to use. Supplied An expert is calling for a ban on padded sleeping pods for infants as a coroner finds a baby’s death was partly due to one. A five-month-old boy died in…
Source: Radio New Zealand 123rf Last year’s weak economic conditions coincided with a 35 percent drop in the value of capital investments, along with a 10 percent drop in the number of transactions the year earlier. NZ Private Capital Monitor indicates there were 276 transactions last year, with $2.5 billion in combined investments and divestments…
Source: Radio New Zealand Finance minister Nicola Willis. RNZ / Mark Papalii The finance minister is set to reveal proposals to reduce the number of government agencies, by telling ministries and departments to come up with plans for amalgamation. RNZ understands Nicola Willis will set out three proposals on Tuesday afternoon to create efficiencies in…
Source: Radio New Zealand Images showing rot in beams and exposed wood and peeling paint on window frames. Branz/supplied About 90 percent of homes in New Zealand are in need of immediate maintenance, with the total cost of the work thought to be $27 billion, research has found. Centre for Research, Evaluation and Social Assessment ... <a title="90% of New Zealand homes in need of immedate maintenance" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2026/03/11/90-of-new-zealand-homes-in-need-of-immedate-maintenance/" aria-label="Read more about 90% of New Zealand homes in need of immedate maintenance">Read more</a>
Source: Radio New Zealand ATTA KENARE / AFP What will the war in the Middle East mean for the average Kiwi’s finances? How far are fuel prices going to rise? What will happen to interest rates? And what does it all mean for the price of food – haven’t we had enough increases there, already? ... <a title="No Stupid Questions: What could the Iran war really mean for your bank balance?" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2026/03/11/no-stupid-questions-what-could-the-iran-war-really-mean-for-your-bank-balance/" aria-label="Read more about No Stupid Questions: What could the Iran war really mean for your bank balance?">Read more</a>
Source: Radio New Zealand Markets have been volatile this week as they digest the impact of the war in the Middle East. RNZ Worried KiwiSaver members are asking: is this time different? Markets have been volatile this week as they digest the impact of the war in the Middle East. But some investors have been ... <a title="KiwiSaver balances wobble: Is this time different?" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2026/03/11/kiwisaver-balances-wobble-is-this-time-different/" aria-label="Read more about KiwiSaver balances wobble: Is this time different?">Read more</a>
REVIEW: By Lee Duffield Declining population in West Papua, and critical loss of life through clashes with the Indonesia military raise the question of genocide in a new book by Brisbane writer Dr Greg Poulgrain. This work, Curse of Gold, published in English by Kompas, as the title indicates traces the roots of subjugation going ... <a title="Taking the wealth – the plunder and impoverishment of West Papua" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2026/03/10/taking-the-wealth-the-plunder-and-impoverishment-of-west-papua/" aria-label="Read more about Taking the wealth – the plunder and impoverishment of West Papua">Read more</a>
Source: Radio New Zealand File photo. Air New Zealand suspended its earnings guidance over ‘unprecedented’ volatility in fuel prices. RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King Nelson’s mayor says smaller centres are rattled by a warning from Air New Zealand it may have make changes to where it flies and how often. The national carrier has suspended the ... <a title="Air NZ suspends earning guidance amid global jet fuel markets volatility" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2026/03/10/air-nz-suspends-earning-guidance-amid-global-jet-fuel-markets-volatility/" aria-label="Read more about Air NZ suspends earning guidance amid global jet fuel markets volatility">Read more</a>
Source: Radio New Zealand RNZ / Dom Thomas One of the country’s most prominent buyers’ agencies has complained to the Real Estate Authority about a rise in “property flippers” making six-figures from unwitting vendors. Earlier, Cotality told RNZ that the number of contemporaneous sales had lifted significantly last year after a sharp fall in 2023. ... <a title="‘It’s quite deceptive’: Complaint laid about the rise of property flippers" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2026/03/10/its-quite-deceptive-complaint-laid-about-the-rise-of-property-flippers/" aria-label="Read more about ‘It’s quite deceptive’: Complaint laid about the rise of property flippers">Read more</a>