CoveragePost
December 18, 2025
Source: Radio New Zealand The rate of gas installations has slowed, as the supply shrinks. 123RF.com Renewables advocates claim it’s “madness” that thousands of new piped gas connections are being installed into houses every year, despite dwindling supply. Organisations pushing for the country to electrify say households will face steeply rising bills in the short ... <a title="Households ponder pros, cons of gas against electricity as supply dwindles" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/12/18/households-ponder-pros-cons-of-gas-against-electricity-as-supply-dwindles/" aria-label="Read more about Households ponder pros, cons of gas against electricity as supply dwindles">Read more</a>
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December 18, 2025
Source: Radio New Zealand ANZ has seen more customers asking about switching from floating rate to a fixed one. RNZ Home loan customers are hustling to fix as rates start to rise. The country’s biggest bank, ANZ, said it had seen more customers asking about switching from a floating rate to a fixed one in ... <a title="Customers jump on fixed terms as rates rise" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/12/18/customers-jump-on-fixed-terms-as-rates-rise/" aria-label="Read more about Customers jump on fixed terms as rates rise">Read more</a>
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December 17, 2025
Source: Radio New Zealand RNZ RBNZ eases capital requirements on banks New settings to reduce bank funding costs overall by about $5 bn RBNZ says settings conservative but closer to global standards Changes likely to benefit smaller banks, improve competition Banks will be expected to pass on savings. The Reserve Bank has reduced the amount ... <a title="Reserve Bank eases capital requirements on banks" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/12/17/reserve-bank-eases-capital-requirements-on-banks/" aria-label="Read more about Reserve Bank eases capital requirements on banks">Read more</a>
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December 17, 2025
Source: Radio New Zealand Morningstar said investors should focus on long-term savings goals, rather than seek short-term gains. RNZ / REECE BAKER A leading financial research firm says KiwiSaver investors should focus on long-term savings goals, rather than seek short-term gains on speculative investments. The end of year is often a time when investors reviewed ... <a title="KiwiSaver investors should focus on long-term savings: Financial research firm" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/12/17/kiwisaver-investors-should-focus-on-long-term-savings-financial-research-firm/" aria-label="Read more about KiwiSaver investors should focus on long-term savings: Financial research firm">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
December 17, 2025
Source: Radio New Zealand The change is expected to apply to $5m-plus houses mostly in Queenstown or Auckland. 123RF Explainer – In a flurry of last-minute activity before the holidays, Parliament has approved changes to the foreign buyers ban that has been in place for the last seven years. The changes will allow “golden visa” ... <a title="What changes to New Zealand’s foreign buyers real estate ban will mean" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/12/17/what-changes-to-new-zealands-foreign-buyers-real-estate-ban-will-mean/" aria-label="Read more about What changes to New Zealand’s foreign buyers real estate ban will mean">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
December 17, 2025
Source: Radio New Zealand Spending remained strongest in the South Island, but was picking up in other regions. 123rf.com The holiday season appears to have boosted the spirits of consumers with household confidence on the rise. The Westpac-McDermott Miller Consumer Confidence Index rose 5.6 points in December to 96.5. While the reading was a little ... <a title="Consumer confidence up in December but still below long-term averages index shows" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/12/17/consumer-confidence-up-in-december-but-still-below-long-term-averages-index-shows/" aria-label="Read more about Consumer confidence up in December but still below long-term averages index shows">Read more</a>
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December 16, 2025
Source: Radio New Zealand New Reserve Bank Governor Anna Breman will not hesitate again to issue a statement for markets to understand how she interprets the economy. Breman sat down for an extensive interview with Morning Report presenter and incoming RNZ business editor Corin Dann, just a day after she took the unusual step of ... <a title="New Reserve Bank Governor Anna Breman talks to Corinn Dann: ‘Financial market conditions have tightened’" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/12/16/new-reserve-bank-governor-anna-breman-talks-to-corinn-dann-financial-market-conditions-have-tightened/" aria-label="Read more about New Reserve Bank Governor Anna Breman talks to Corinn Dann: ‘Financial market conditions have tightened’">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
December 16, 2025
Source: Radio New Zealand Consumer says that shoppers using cards should not pay more than about 1.3 percent in surcharges and anything close to 2 percent was likely to be excessive. 123RF Shoppers are being told to “swerve” any unreasonable surcharges they encounter this Christmas. Since 1 December, new limits have applied to interchange fees, ... <a title="Shoppers get surcharge warning" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/12/16/shoppers-get-surcharge-warning/" aria-label="Read more about Shoppers get surcharge warning">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
December 16, 2025
Source: Radio New Zealand Finance Minister Nicola Willis speaking at the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update RNZ Finance Minister Nicola Willis is doubling down on her “disciplined” plan for returning the books to surplus – despite new forecasts delaying it by yet another year. And she took aim at those advocating for sharper spending ... <a title="Willis working on ‘disciplined’ plan to return to surplus, says cuts would deliver ‘human misery’" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/12/16/willis-working-on-disciplined-plan-to-return-to-surplus-says-cuts-would-deliver-human-misery/" aria-label="Read more about Willis working on ‘disciplined’ plan to return to surplus, says cuts would deliver ‘human misery’">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
December 16, 2025
Source: Radio New Zealand Further spending discipline is needed, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone Return to budget surplus delayed a year until 2030 Deficits forecast to be bigger because slow economic recovery Growth forecast below 1 pct this year rising to more than 3 pct in 2027 Debt expect to peak ... <a title="Government books bleaker as surplus gets further away, deficits grow" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/12/16/government-books-bleaker-as-surplus-gets-further-away-deficits-grow/" aria-label="Read more about Government books bleaker as surplus gets further away, deficits grow">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
December 16, 2025
Source: Radio New Zealand Finance Minister Nicola Willis speaking at the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update RNZ Finance Minister Nicola Willis is doubling down on her “disciplined” plan for returning the books to surplus – despite new forecasts delaying it by yet another year. And she took aim at those advocating for sharper spending ... <a title="Willis working on ‘disciplined’ plan for returning books to surplus" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/12/16/willis-working-on-disciplined-plan-for-returning-books-to-surplus/" aria-label="Read more about Willis working on ‘disciplined’ plan for returning books to surplus">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
December 16, 2025
Source: Radio New Zealand Further spending discipline is needed, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone Return to budget surplus delayed a year until 2030 Deficits forecast to be bigger because slow economic recovery Growth forecast below 1 pct this year rising to more than 3 pct in 2027 Debt expect to peak ... <a title="Government financial position weaker than expected in May budget" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/12/16/government-financial-position-weaker-than-expected-in-may-budget/" aria-label="Read more about Government financial position weaker than expected in May budget">Read more</a>
