A multi-agency Search and Rescue training exercise is scheduled this weekend, police said, in the Tekapo region.
Lake Tekapo will host Operation Oasis between Friday and Sunday, “a complex, multi-phase scenario designed to test search techniques, field skills, and fatigue management in realistic conditions”.
It will involve more than 200 specialists from across Canterbury, including members of Police, Coastguard, Surf Life Saving New Zealand, Land Search and Rescue, Amateur Radio Emergency Communications, Alpine Rescue Canterbury, Hato Hone St John, and the Defence Force.
“Members of the public will see increased activity in the area, with use of helicopters, boats, and Search and Rescue personnel and equipment,” police said.
“This is a planned, routine training exercise and the public should not be alarmed.”
The Ministry of Transport currently factors elements such as road closures, emergency service response, and the social costs for the life lost into the total cost of a road fatality.RNZ
A transport consultancy firm says analysis of traffic data reveals the total cost of a crash is up to 70 percent higher that previously calculated.
The Ministry of Transport currently calculates the social cost of a road fatality at more than $15 million, which includes elements such as the road closure, emergency service response, and the social costs for the life lost.
But Abley Principal Transportation Planner Chris Blackmore told Nine to Noon data analysis shows that the impact of a crash on the overall road network is not factored into that calculation.
“There’s a lot of big immediate costs that we see when you look at the impacts of road trauma – be that FENZ, hospital admission, recovery costs.
“We do occasionally take into account any easily visible impacts of closing a road … but at the moment that’s only really included at a high level, and it ignores a lot of the secondary and following impacts.”
Councils and the Transport Agency had traditionally relied on physical equipment such as pneumatic road tubes to measure traffic data.
“That’s really what has prevented, up until now, having a more holistic view of the impacts of what we call network disruption.”
But a system called TomTom Area Speed enabled the analysis of more information, and more sophisticated data about the wider impacts crashes had, Blackmore said.
TomTom takes information from sources such as Apple, data from the cars themselves, and other apps motorists might be using to show exactly how widespread the congestion is, for how long, and what activities might be affected.
Blackmore provided the example of a crash between a bus and a car on Auckland’s Tamaki Drive, which closed the significant connection between the eastern bays and the city centre for more than 24 hours.
“What we could see with TomTom was that as that link closed, people had to find their way around.
“Say five O’clock, six O’clock in the morning, that’s all right … but what happens when you get into the peak hour … we see all of the other connections from the eastern bays massively overloaded.
The TomTom data showed exactly how people reacted to road closures, he said.
“Some people do u-turns, some people turn of earlier and try and get through some back roads, some people try to tough it out in the queue.”
When the data was added up, it revealed the overall impact the crash had on travel times, and the total disruption to the road network.
Crashes on rural roads also could carry a heavy unseen cost, Blackmore said, using the example of a crash on State Highway 6 near Kington in Otago.
“What we saw there was that travel time increases weren’t as significant because there’s not a heap of congestion. People could figure out that there’s a crash before they started driving down State Highway 6 and make their choices.
“But we did see hundreds of thousands of extra kilometres that people had to travel, and that has impacts on people’s lives and their routines as well.”
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Billy Proctor celebrates scoring a try with team mates.MARK EVANS
The Hurricanes top the Super Rugby standings, but the real tests of their title credentials are yet to come.
They face the Highlanders in Dunedin on Friday night in their first New Zealand derby of the season, before games against the Reds, Blues, Chiefs, Brumbies and Crusaders.
All Blacks centre Billy Proctor returns to the Hurricanes lineup after missing last week’s win over the Force in Napier, and he faces a monumental challenge in trying to contain Highlanders midfielder Timoci Tavatavanawai, nicknamed ‘Jim the Difference’.
“It seems like a lot of teams have been struggling with Big Jim,” Proctor said.
“I guess our ability to shut down the space and not give him too much time on the ball and eliminate his threat at the breakdown is going to be big this week and will go a long way for us trying to get the win.”
This time last year the Hurricanes were languishing near the bottom of the ladder. All Blacks halfback Cam Roigard said they are pleased with how they’ve started in 2026, with three wins from four games.
“Yeah it’s been good, we’ve done a bit of reflecting and I think this time last year were dead last, so it’s quite the contrast.
“It’s been a unique start with the bye round one and we haven’t played a New Zealand team yet. We know that it’s going to be a massive challenge this week.”
Hurricanes half back Cam Roigard kicks ahead during the Super Rugby Pacific game against the Western Force.Kerry Marshall / www.photosport.nz
So far the Hurricanes have played Moana Pasifika, the Fijian Drua, the Waratahs and the Force.
Roigard knows they’ll have to lift their performances if they want to keep winning, and he’s wary of a Highlanders side coming off a loss to the Crusaders.
“It’s our first New Zealand derby, whereas the Highlanders have had three or four already. So they’re going to be battle-hardened and they’re going to be ready for this game.
“It was [an] unfortunate result for them, losing to the Crusaders. But they’re back at home and there’ll be plenty of passion and they’ll be wanting to get one back over a New Zealand team.”
The Highlanders are seventh in the standings with just two wins from five games. However, they’ve played the Chiefs and Crusaders (twice) already this season and Proctor believes the hosts will be tough to beat in Dunedin on Friday night.
“They have a dangerous back three – there’s a lot of X-factor there. We touched on Big Jim before, someone that probably leads the comp in defenders beaten and he’s up there in the Jackal [winning turnovers] list too.
“There’s a few threats right there as well as their big ball-carrying forwards to go along with it. So plenty to handle out there, but we’re excited and looking forward to it.”
Billy Proctor of the Hurricanes celebrates scoring a try.MARK EVANS
Proctor himself has been in strong form, scoring five tries in the three games he has played to be third-equal with Blues wing Caleb Clarke on the list of the season’s top tryscorers.
The Brumbies’ Charlie Cale leads the way with seven tries, while Max Jorgensen of the Waratahs has six.
“It’s guys like Cam making all the breaks and me being on the end of it,” Proctor said. “I’ve been benefiting from a lot of good play from everyone, so I’ve been enjoying it.”
Roigard will play inside Ruben Love for the first time this season, with the latter named to start at first-five against the Highlanders after returning from injury via the bench in last week’s victory over the Force.
“I think my first start for the Hurricanes was with him at 10 back in 2021. So it would be cool to wind the clock back,” Roigard said.
“I think he’ll bring a lot of control. He’s got a real dominant voice and I think that control in the right areas of the field is an element I’m looking forward to having and obviously his X-factor, the ability to break the game open and as it goes on, hopefully he’ll be able to pick on some tired bodies.”
Police searching for the missing man in Lake Manapouri over the past week, have this morning recovered a body.
On Saturday 14 March, around 6.15pm, Police received a report that a man had fallen overboard from a vessel approximately 1km offshore in Lake Manapouri.
While formal identification is yet to take place, Police believe it is likely to be the missing man.
Police Search and Rescue and the Police Dive Squad, with assistance from the Royal New Zealand Navy, conducted extensive searches of the lake and surrounding areas over the past few days.
Today, the Police Dive Squad and the New Zealand Navy recovered the man’s body from the lake.
“Police extend our deepest condolences to the man’s family during this difficult time,” says Sergeant Alun Griffiths.
“I would also like to thank all those involved in the search – we are especially grateful for the assistance of the New Zealand Defence Force in providing specialist expertise that allowed this extended search to be concluded,” he says.
19 March 2026 – The Reserve Bank has published a Summary of Submissions and Key Decisions paper on the Liquidity Management Review consultation. Decisions on the design of Open Market Operations (OMO) are expected to come into effect from 2 April 2026.
The Reserve Bank has been reviewing its liquidity management framework following changes to the liquidity environment in recent years.
Based on feedback from the consultation and consideration of our key objectives, we intend to make changes to our approach to OMO and will start offering weekly full allotment operations to inject liquidity.
“Weekly full allotment operations will provide market participants with certainty, allowing them to determine their demand for liquidity at a fixed spread to the OCR,” Director of Financial Markets Adam Richardson says.
The new weekly operations will complement the Overnight Reverse Repo Facility, that is available daily to market participants.
“OMO are a critical tool for us to manage liquidity, and we will continue to monitor the impact of the new approach and ensure it is consistent with effective monetary policy implementation, while also facilitating market liquidity and supporting financial stability,” Mr Richardson says.
The first operation under the new framework will take place on Thursday 2 April 2026 at 11.30am NZT.
The consultation paper also sought input on design considerations for a Committed Liquidity Facility (CLF). Feedback on the CLF has been used to inform in-principle decisions and help identify areas where additional work is required. The CLF is on track to be in place by December 2028, when the Deposit Takers Act standards come into effect.
Privacy Commissioner Michael Webster spoke on Tuesday 17 March at Takina in Wellington
It’s great to be here today to:
share some observations, from my perspective as Privacy Commissioner, about the place of cyber security in the minds of decision-makers, organisations, and the everyday person in the street, and
talk about the linkages between privacy, stewardship of personal information, and cyber security.
But, before I get into that – a pop quiz …
Who said, less than a month ago, “It’s a reason why I have been advocating very strongly that we need to strengthen our cyber security laws here in NZ and also make sure that we are not laid back … I think in 2026 sometimes our New Zealand business environment has been way too laid back, and not taking the risks and the threats seriously enough.”
Yes, that was Prime Minister Chris Luxon.
And who said, again less than a month ago, “digital threats are growing and New Zealand must strengthen its defences … Every New Zealander who provides data to a government agency, or to a company contracted by one, is entitled to the same standard of care. When that data is breached, it is a violation of trust … We could improve incentives for entities holding New Zealanders’ data. We could increase penalties for hackers and scammers. We should also question whether it is even reasonable to demand New Zealanders provide sensitive information or digital identification for everyday activities.”
Yes, that was Deputy Prime Minister, David Seymour.
Now, like a lot of organisations, at my work we subscribe to a media alerts service, for media and other stories about privacy and related matters – including cyber. I arrived at work a week ago, the morning email from the service had just popped into my in-box … no privacy breach stories this time … but every story was a cyber one … every story!
It seems that the public policy and media spotlights have swung their beams of light on to you.
You have to wonder, given this sort of political, public, and media interest, if we are on the cusp of cyber security leaving the wings, and coming to centre stage.
The question is, are we ready – and if we are, what are we going to do next?
Surveys and attitudes to cyber security
It’s always instructive to take ourselves out of our busy day to day context, and see how other organisations, and even other countries, are seeing cyber-security, and cyber threats.
Each year the Institute of Directors conducts a Directors’ Sentiment Survey and publishes the results with some commentary.
In the 2025 report, the IoD noted, and I quote, that:
“Technology epitomises this shift from curiosity to commitment. Six in ten boards are now working with management on how AI and automation can lift productivity – the second-highest result since records began. Digital oversight has re-entered the mainstream, no longer the preserve of tech committees or early adopters. But the enthusiasm is tempered by uneven assurance: cyber vigilance has plateaued, with the proportion of boards discussing risk or receiving breach reporting barely moving in three years. In effect, boards are accelerating innovation without upgrading the brakes.”
While 57.2% of directors said their board discusses cyber risks, this figure has softened slightly from 2024, which was 62.2%.
Likewise, 55.2% of boards report receiving comprehensive data breach or cyber-risk reporting, largely unchanged for three years after a sharp rise in 2023.
Privacy and data protection show similar stagnation; 57.2% of directors said their board regularly reviews privacy risks, a figure largely unchanged from 2024.
Internet NZ’s recent survey results show New Zealanders continue to have concerns in the data space.
65% of those surveyed were extremely concerned or very concerned about the security of personal data.
Kordia have just released their 2026 NZ Business Cyber Security Report.
Some key take outs from that:
44% of large businesses were subjected to a cyber attack or incident in the past 12 months
17% of cyber incidents resulted in personal information being accessed or stolen
61% of businesses impacted by a cyber incident suffered a serious business disruption
30% of businesses surveyed said they lacked confidence that they could recover from a major cyber-attack.
25% said they had no cyber security awareness or training programme for their employees, and
Around half had not practiced their incident response plans.
That’s not a brilliant picture.
Hence, the International Telecommunication Union’s global cybersecurity index last year ranked New Zealand in the third of five tiers, as an ‘establishing’ nation along side the likes of Kiribati and Myanmar.
The heightened cyber security risk environment has seen countries like Australia and Singapore among others, implement new cyber security legislation.
New regulatory frameworks are also increasingly being backed up with tools and manuals to support businesses to aim for and stay on the right side of the regulatory line.
And that is something the New Zealand Office of the Privacy Commissioner is also focused on.
Privacy and cyber security
It’s clear that there are many linkages between privacy and cyber security – and I want to begin by acknowledging that while my focus is on the stewardship of personal information, those working in cyber security are concerned about keeping all information – personal, financial, commercial, legal, marketing, the list goes on – safe and secure from harm.
Some of you here today will of course be working in or managing the IT/IS/cyber teams in organisations, ensuring systems are hardened against cyber-attack, and that your work colleagues engage in cyber smart practices.
Some of you will be advisors, providing organisations with advice on the latest developments in cyber threats and defences.
Some of you will be involved in research and development, seeking to get ahead of the cyber criminals and threat actors in the never-ending cyber war we all seem to be engaged in these days.
And some – like my Office – are focused on the risks to personal information.
My focus is making privacy a core focus for your agencies – in order to protect New Zealanders from harm, to enable organisations to achieve their own objectives, and to safeguard our free and democratic society.
And when things go wrong – when there’s a serious privacy breach which might see personal information exfiltrated, or deliberately corrupted – we ask questions about what happened and why, and – if it’s needed – we can hold agencies to account.
Security of information and IT infrastructure is a critical component of a robust privacy programme.
Both security and privacy staff must work together to identify external and internal risks, and to ensure that security is prioritised and resourced accordingly.
The Privacy Act 2020 is built around 13 privacy principles that govern how agencies (organisations and businesses) can collect, store, use and share personal information.
The Privacy Act makes sure that:
you know when your information is being collected
your information is used and shared appropriately
your information is kept safe and secure
you can get access to your information.
As many of you will know, Principle 5 is concerned with storage and security of information.
It states that organisations must ensure there are safeguards in place, that are reasonable in the circumstances, to prevent loss, misuse or disclosure of personal information.
There are a number of different aspects to consider, including physical security, electronic security, operational security, security during transmission and during destruction.
What steps are appropriate will depend entirely on the circumstances, including:
How sensitive is the personal information involved?
What are you using the personal information for?
What security measures are available, and how will using these measures impact on your agency’s functions?
What might the consequences be for the individual if the information is not kept secure?
I thought you might be interested to get a sense of the state of play with privacy breaches in New Zealand.
So, this morning, I have the latest breaking stats and news for you.
In the most recent quarter, 61% of serious privacy breaches were due to intentional or malicious activity, and 36% were due to human error … the days of most breaches being due to an email whoopsie seem to be long gone.
For the reporting year to date, 21% were unauthorised access breaches (including ransomware), and 28% were unauthorised sharing or employee browsing.
Employee browsing
Can I take the opportunity to touch on an increasingly serious privacy risk: that is, employee browsing.
The greatest threat to your workplace information security could be sitting in the office next to you at work.
Employee browsing or the unauthorised access and misuse of personal information is becoming one of the most common privacy breaches.
NZ is a small place, and there’s a good chance a familiar name will crop up in a database or on a file at work, and it can prove very tempting for some to have a look.
In some circumstances employees look up information and then pass it on for the explicit purpose of causing harm of some sort.
If your business or organisation holds sensitive personal information that your customers or clients would really, really not want to be revealed to someone else, like a violent former partner, or revealed to the public if someone happens to be a bit of a celebrity – then your organisation’s employees will, one day, come under pressure from others to access and hand over that information.
Attempts will be made to coerce, bribe, blackmail or threaten employees to access and misuse the personal information the organisation holds.
So, my question for you is, has your organisation invested in the systems, regular database audit checks, employee induction processes, and so on, to deter and, if it happens, identify unauthorised access and misuse of personal information?
Of course, my Office doesn’t always want to occupy the space of the privacy “ambulance at the bottom of the cliff”; increasingly, our focus is on working with people like you to “build the fence at the top”.
As I think I mentioned at last year’s conference, Poupou Matatapu is guidance on our website to help New Zealand agencies do privacy well – you can find it at privacy.org.nz.
It sets our expectations about what good privacy practice looks like and then helps organisations toward achieving that.
One of the components of this guidance focuses on security and internal access controls.
The obligation to keep information safe and secure applies to information that is held by the organisation (for example, in on-premises servers) and information that is held on the organisation’s behalf by a service provider (for example, a cloud-based data storage provider).
Remember, organisations are liable under the Privacy Act for the personal information stored and processed on their behalf.
The most effective strategy is having a well-thought-out security plan for all personal information you hold.
At a high level, this component of Poupou Matatapu describes key security controls across three areas – physical, technical, and organisational.
These controls are not exhaustive and are continually evolving.
Organisations need to ensure that they update their knowledge on security risks, including seeking advice from external experts where necessary, and implement all reasonable security safeguards in a timely way.
I don’t need to tell this audience that there’s a world of cyber security guidance and standards out there.
Providing security and IT advice is not a core function of my Office, so, in our guidance, we have provided links to advice and resources from other authoritative sources, such as NCSC, and others.
But, of course, like you, I have seen commentary around how to assess whether an organisation had reasonable security safeguards in place at the time of a security or privacy incident.
Reasonable security safeguards are those that are proportionate to an organisation’s role, scale, and risk exposure.
They reflect recognised national expectations at the time the safeguards were implemented and operating prior to the breach.
This approach does not require best-in-class or exhaustive controls, instead focusing on intent, decision-making, and proportionality.
It anchors reasonableness in nationally recognised frameworks, uses well-understood national standards like the NCSC Minimum Cyber Security Standards as a defensible baseline, and applies sectoral-specific standards – such as those applying to the health sector – as contextual overlays.
This approach provides a clear basis for determining whether reasonable security safeguards were in place at a given point in time.
The other day I was reminded of a comment from Misti Landtroop, the NZ country manager for cybersecurity company Palo Alto Networks.
She said that many cyber breaches were preventable, with things like security culture, level of knowledge, and willingness to invest, all factors that left organisations vulnerable to cyber-attack. Organisations also make mistakes because they either don’t understand the value of privacy, or don’t care.
Sometimes privacy is as easy as just ensuring your IT systems are up to scratch and making sure you’ve thought about access, have got the permissions set correctly, and have tested them.
For example, a while back the UK Information Commissioner issued a 4.4million pound fine to a company which, in the Commissioner’s view, failed to follow up on the original alert about some suspicious activity, used outdated software systems and protocols, and had a lack of adequate staff training and insufficient risk assessments – all of which ultimately left them vulnerable to a cyber-attack.
The Commissioner commented at the time: “The biggest cyber risk businesses face is not from hackers outside of their company, but from complacency within their company. If your business doesn’t regularly monitor for suspicious activity in its systems, and fails to act on warnings, or doesn’t update software, and fails to provide training to staff, you can expect a similar fine from my Office.”
From my perspective, and reflecting on all this commentary, since taking up my role I have made it clear that agencies need to keep front of mind that, in the case of a cyber security incident resulting in a data privacy breach, one of the first questions I will ask is “has the agency undertaken all reasonable security safeguards” to protect the personal information under their care.
Health sector
Turning to the cyber elephant in the room, recent events in NZ would suggest that one sector which is well and truly facing some cyber security challenges, is the health sector.
Just a reminder: on 22 February, MediMap — a private portal used by aged-care homes, hospices, disability services and community health providers to coordinate prescriptions and record medication histories — was taken offline after it was discovered that some patient records had been tampered with by an unauthorized actor.
MediMap’s early investigations identified changes to fields including names, birthdates, assigned prescriber, and location of care and resident status, with some living patients incorrectly marked as “deceased.”
This event was unsettling not only because of the direct impact on individuals and clinical operations, but also because it followed another high-profile breach —the Manage My Health breach in late 2025, which involved the exfiltration of hundreds of thousands of medical documents.
One of New Zealand’s leading privacy commentators, Daimhin Warner, commented at the time:
“Taken together, these events suggest a broader pattern of cyber risk in health tech that goes beyond isolated vendor errors.”
“Several key themes are starting to emerge. First is the need for clarity of expectations. What baseline technical and organizational safeguards should be required for systems handling highly sensitive health information? Mandatory controls — for example, multifactor authentication, encryption at rest and in transit, regular independent security audits and incident response obligations — could help raise the floor of protection.”
“Second is making sure the health sector understands who is really accountable for ensuring these baseline safeguards are in place. It is alarmingly clear from these recent breaches that many organizations in the health sector do not fully understand their accountabilities and responsibilities.”
Daimhin Warner notes that the recent publication of the National Cyber Security Strategy has occurred at a time when some of the government agencies tasked with cyber security are making it clear that New Zealand has a long way to go before we can say our standards and approach meet international good practice.
And by the same token, then, we have a long way to go before we can assure New Zealanders, whoever they are … customers, clients, citizens … that their privacy is being protected and respected.
GCSB Director-General Andrew Clark said recently that “unfortunately, there are … pockets, including in our critical infrastructure, where cybersecurity is barely meeting that foundational level that we would expect.”
AI
And of course, AI is only making the challenge facing the cyber security industry even harder.
Reports show increasingly that AI agents are supercharging cyber-attacks by industrialising the scale of them.
In the Internet NZ survey I referred to earlier, 59% of those surveyed were very or extremely concerned about the use of AI to violate privacy.
And the Kordia survey found that a quarter of medium to large businesses now rank staff misuse of AI among their biggest cyber challenges, and that attacks involving AI-related vulnerabilities have more than doubled year on year.
Director-General Clark also noted that while smaller organisations might not meet the critical infrastructure description, many still hold a lot of sensitive personal information that needs protection.
So, no matter the sector, and no matter the size, there are questions we all need to be asking, and expectations that need to be met, in today’s increasingly super-charged threat environment:
From where I sit, those expectations include:
Security controls are specific to the type and sensitivity of information held across the organisation, rather than a ‘one size fits all’ approach. Regular auditing of systems is undertaken to ensure appropriate access.
An organisation follows industry guidelines and security standards relevant to its business context.
There is a remediation plan for managing and/or replacing legacy systems (where necessary).
Identified risks are proactively managed – for example, by incorporating them into the organisation’s risk and assurance reporting processes to ensure visibility, and Organisational controls – policies, procedures, and decisions – are regularly reviewed and fit for purpose.
Conclusion
People of cyber … at this time in New Zealand’s history you face your greatest challenge, and your greatest opportunity.
The Government is backing rural New Zealand by supporting 18 community-based initiatives through its Rural Wellbeing Fund, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay and Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey say.
“We established the fund mid-last year to boost wellbeing programmes that support the rural sector,” Mr McClay says.
“These initiatives will ensure farmers and growers have the support they need to thrive.”
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says the Government is committed to delivering faster access to mental health support, including for the one in five people who live in rural communities.
“We’ve focused on supporting proposals that can have the greatest impact on the ground, as well as new initiatives targeting gaps,” Mr Doocey says.
“Partnering with grassroots organisations enables the Government funding to go further and make a real difference.”
The Ministry for Primary Industries and Health New Zealand each allocated $2 million over four years for the fund through Budget 2025.
Note for editors:
Organisations/programmes receiving funding through the Rural Wellbeing Fund
Funding amount
Whatever With Wiggy Charitable Trust
$740,000
The Whanau Ora Community Clinic Ltd
$716,000
The NZ Federation of Young Farmers Clubs Incorporated
$585,000
Seafood Sector Support Network Trust (FirstMate)
$550,000
Life-Supporting Communities NZ (Be A Mate)
$400,000
Farmstrong Charitable Trust
$399,250
Surfing for Farmers Charitable Trust
$160,000
Tuākana Tēina Kaiārahi Ltd
$90,000
Ara Taiohi Incorporated
$70,000
NZ Shearing Contractors Association (Live Well, Shear Well)
$50,000
Mates of Tairāwhiti Charitable Trust
$50,000
OTS Limited (Livemewell)
$48,400
Te Manu Korero O Nga Matauranga Central King Country REAP
$40,000
Spark That Chat Ltd
$20,000
DB Farming Ltd T/A Deanne Parkes
$15,000
Dominion Federation of New Zealand Chinese Commercial Growers Incorporated
$15,000
The Aoraki Multicultural Council T/A Multicultural Aoraki
The latestBusinessNZ Planning Forecastshows that while the economic outlook largely depends on how the conflict in Iran evolves, current forecasts still point to encouraging growth through to March 2028.
Chief Economist John Pask says even as we navigate stormy seas internationally, there are reasons to remain optimistic at home.
“Our construction sector is showing signs of recovery, with increased consenting activity and a strong infrastructure pipeline, as has been outlined by the Infrastructure Commission.
“Tourism has rebounded too, and international visitor numbers are back to pre-covid levels, aided in part by a lower NZ dollar.
“On the agricultural front, Fonterra’s sale of several consumer brands for around $4 billion is expected to boost incomes and support rural communities. On the downside, input costs, including fertiliser, are likely to rise significantly if the conflict continues.
Pask says this latest Planning Forecast comes with a special note, due to a developing geopolitical situation.
“Given the fluid international economic situation at present, forecasts on economic growth, interest rates, exchange rates, inflation, and unemployment, should be seen for what they are – the best available information to date. These forecasts will likely be subject to significant change as both the global and domestic scene continues to evolve over coming weeks.”
The BusinessNZ Economic Conditions Index (ECI) is a measure of some of NZ’s key economic indicators. It sits at 18 for the March 2026 quarter, down 6 on the previous quarter, and up 13 on a year ago. An ECI reading above 0 indicates that economic conditions are generally improving overall; below 0 means economic conditions are generally declining.
The latest BusinessNZ Planning forecast is available now on theBusinessNZ website.
The BusinessNZ Network including BusinessNZ, EMA, Business Central and Business South, represents and provides services to thousands of businesses, small and large, throughout New Zealand.
Police would like to advise the Tekapo community of a multi-agency Search and Rescue training exercise taking place this week.
From Friday 20 March to Sunday 22 March, Lake Tekapo will be hosting Operation Oasis, a complex, multi-phase scenario designed to test search techniques, field skills, and fatigue management in realistic conditions.
Over 200 Search and Rescue specialists from across the Canterbury District will be taking part in the exercise from Police, Coastguard, Surf Life Saving New Zealand, Land Search and Rescue, Amateur Radio Emergency Communications, Alpine Rescue Canterbury, Hato Hone St John, and the New Zealand Defence Force.
Members of the public will see increased activity in the area, with use of helicopters, boats, and Search and Rescue personnel and equipment.
This is a planned, routine training exercise and the public should not be alarmed.
We appreciate and thank the community for their understanding and support as our teams work to maintain and enhance their capability to respond to emergencies.
Upgraded airfield infrastructure of Masterton’s Hood Aerodrome improves safety and supports the strengthening of the region’s economy, thanks to a $10 million government grant, says Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson.
Mr Mark Patterson is in Masterton today joining locals to celebrate the completion of this significant milestone for Wairarapa’s aviation capability and regional development.
“The Hood Aerodrome upgrade is a major step forward for the Wairarapa. The aerodrome is now safer and better positioned to support the region’s aviation sector, economic development, and community needs for years to come,” Mr Patterson says.
“A series of essential improvements were completed at the aerodrome, including resurfacing and widening the runway, improving lighting, upgrading water and electrical networks for 27 new hangar sites, and building new access roads.
“This work secures the aerodrome’s long-term operational capability and has enabled it to meet Civil Aviation Authority certification requirements, which allows for larger aircraft to operate from the airfield, and positions the airfield for future tourism and economic growth.
“The region can now count on continued support for medical life-flight services, search and rescue operations, agricultural topdressing, aviation events, recreational flying, and pilot training,” Mr Patterson says.
In 2020, Masterton District Council received a $10 million grant to upgrade safety and services infrastructure at Hood Aerodrome. The total value of the project was $17.07 million, which includes co-funding of $7.07 million from the Council.
In addition to the airfield upgrade, further work – supported by $954,000 from the government’s Regional Infrastructure Fund (RIF) – has recently been completed to protect the aerodrome boundary from erosion and enhance flood protection. This project is one of 16 flood resilience initiatives in the Wairarapa co-funded by the government.
Source:Aotearoa Clinical Trials and Medical Research Institute of New Zealand
MRINZ and ACTT Launch CRANZ to Strengthen Clinical Research in New Zealand
The Medical Research Institute of New Zealand (MRINZ) and the Aotearoa Clinical TrialsTrust (ACTT) are pleased to announce the establishment of theClinical Research Alliance New Zealand (CRANZ), a new national partnership to strengthen and expand high-quality clinical trial research across Aotearoa New Zealand.
Both organisations are dedicated to improving health outcomes through rigorous, evidence based clinical research.CRANZ brings together MRINZ’s internationally recognised research expertise with ACTT’s nationwide, public hospital-embedded clinical trial delivery network to create a coordinated platform for medical research.
The Alliance will:
Increase the number and support of high-quality investigator-initiated trials (IITs) and collaborative group trials (CGTs)
Work with overseas funders and research institutes to enable more medical research to be performed in New Zealand
Enable New Zealand clinicians to design and lead trials that improve patient care and inform clinical practice
Strengthen collaboration across hospitals, universities, and research institutions
Investigator-led trials are essential for addressing locally relevant health challenges and generating evidence grounded in real-world patient care.CRANZ will provide the systems, governance expertise, and delivery infrastructure required to support efficient, high quality trial execution across New Zealand.
CRANZ will initially focus onRespiratory, Vaccines, Dermatology, and Infectious Diseases– areas of significant public health priority and established research strength.
Professor Richard Beasley, Director of MRINZ, said: “Clinical trials allow us to answer the questions most relevant to patient care in New Zealand. CRANZ strengthens our ability to support clinicians to access and lead high-quality trials, generating evidence that improves clinical practice.”
Dr. Edward Watson, Chief Executive of ACTT, said: “CRANZ connects research leadership with nationwide hospital-based delivery, creating a more capable and coordinated environment for all clinical research. This Alliance will expand access to high-quality trials for patients and strengthen New Zealand’s clinical research capability.”
Further details on CRANZ programmes and collaborative initiatives will be announced in the coming months.
Master Plumbers has been fixing problems and advocating for regulation that protects public health for a long time.
Chief Executive Greg Wallace says its work has kept communities functioning, and most importantly, healthy.
“Nowhere is that more obvious at the moment than in Wellington, where the importance of good plumbing infrastructure has been getting quite a bit of attention.”
Today the organisation is celebrating 125 years of service to the plumbing industry with a function at Government House hosted by Governor General Dame Cindy Kiro and attended by Hon Minister Penny Simmonds and Mayor of Wellington, Andrew Little.
“When systems work well, nobody notices. But safe drinking water, healthy homes, effective drainage and modern sanitation all depend on the skills of plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers throughout New Zealand,” Mr Wallace says.
Over 250 people, including Master Plumbers members from across the country as well as industry leaders and partners, are attending the event, which will celebrate the association’s contribution to raising plumbing standards and safeguarding public health since 1901.
Several member businesses have been around long enough to have played a part in shaping New Zealand’s landscape.
Hamilton-based FB Hall & Co Ltd helped build the Waikato region, from dairy farms and factories to high-rise buildings. Founded by English immigrant Frederick Benjamin Hall in 1923, the company has been involved in projects at Waikato Hospital, Waikato University, The Base Shopping Centre and Tristram Precinct in its 103 years in business.
Brockelsby’s Plumbing and Gasfitting Ltd started from a residential house in Lower Hutt in the 1930s, and Mander & Co Ltd has operated from the same site in Johnsonville since the company’s inception more than 70 years ago. Both have been members of Master Plumbers since the 1940s.
While tools, technology and workforce diversity have evolved, Master Plumbers’ role in advocating for key regulatory advances has remained constant throughout its history.
In 1912, the passing of the Plumbers’ Registration Act – the forerunner of today’s Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Act – was largely thanks to lobbying by the national association.
More recently, Master Plumbers has been a vocal advocate for New Zealand’s new lead-free product legislation coming into effect this May. It has also spearheaded calls to allow plumbers and drainlayers to certify their own work, which is expected to become a reality later this year.
“Self-certification is a significant step forward that recognises the professionalism and capability of our trades and that skilled, licensed tradespeople can be trusted to stand behind their work,” he says.
Looking ahead, the sector faces significant challenges. The growing need for housing, infrastructure renewal and climate resilience all put pressure on an industry with longstanding workforce shortages.
Mr Wallace says he is encouraged by the quality of people entering the industry, but more are needed.
“Apprenticeships are increasingly recognised as a smart and rewarding career path, and we see talented young people entering the trades with real ambition and capability. They represent the future of our industry.”
AboutMaster Plumbers: Master Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers NZ Inc is the national membership body representing plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying businesses, with 19 regional branches across New Zealand. Members undergo a rigorous Quality Assurance programme and are supported with training, resources and industry guidance to meet evolving technologies, products and compliance standards. Master Plumbers also advocates on behalf of its members and the wider industry.
Masterlink, owned by Master Plumbers, is a group training scheme delivering managed, mentored apprenticeships nationwide. Regional Managers support both apprentices and host businesses throughout the training journey.
Sales volumes have fallen again across New Zealand’s housing market, extending a slow start to 2026 even as property values remain broadly stable on the back of improved affordability and lower mortgage rates.
The Cotality NZ Monthly Housing Chart Pack for March shows sales volumes in February were 6.8% lower than the same month a year ago, following a 7.8% fall in January. It marks the first time in almost three years that sales have declined in two consecutive months.
Property values remain relatively stable, with the national median edging 0.2% higher in February, although values are still 1.2% lower than a year ago and around 17.3% below the early-2022 peak.
Cotality NZ Chief Property Economist Kelvin Davidson said buyer caution had remained a defining feature of the country’s broader housing market through the first two months of 2026.
“Sales volumes remain fairly sluggish and that’s a reminder that confidence takes time and is still rebuilding,” Mr Davidson said.
“December activity looked unusually strong, so some of the recent softness may reflect timing rather than a new downward trend. But even allowing for that, the housing market is still in a phase where buyers are taking their time.”
Some markets showed larger price gains in February, with Hamilton and Dunedin each recording a 0.9% rise in values, while values in Invercargill also moved higher.
First home buyers remain key market force
First home buyers continued to play a major role in the market, accounting for around 27% of property purchases across January and February combined.
Mr Davidson said improving affordability and lower mortgage rates are helping many first home buyers enter the market, even in a high-priced market such as Auckland.
“First home buyers remain a significant presence, and in Auckland they’ve taken an even larger share of purchases at around 30% so far this year,” he said.
“KiwiSaver withdrawals continue to play a role in helping buyers assemble deposits, while the banks’ low-deposit lending allowances are also supporting access to credit.”
“In some cases, mortgage repayments can now look similar, or cheaper than rents, which can encourage tenants to move from renting to buying if they’re able to save for or access a deposit,” he said.
Movers accounted for just over 26% of purchases across the first two months of the year, while mortgaged multiple property owners held a 24% share.
Mr Davidson said the behaviour of owner-occupiers trading homes would be an important factor to watch through 2026.
“A stronger economic backdrop could encourage more movers to return to the market over time. When that group becomes more active, it tends to support higher transaction levels across the entire housing market.”
Rental market remains subdued
Conditions in the rental market remain soft, with net migration well below previous peaks and rental listings still relatively elevated.
MBIE bonds data shows the median national rent fell by 0.8% in the three months to January compared with a year earlier, a relatively rare outcome after several years of strong growth.
Mr Davidson said the combination of softer population growth and already high rent levels relative to incomes is limiting further increases.
“Rents have already risen significantly in recent years, and wage growth has eased, so there isn’t a lot of scope for further increases at the moment,” he said.
“More likely we’ll see a period of flat or only modest rental growth while the market adjusts.”
Market outlook remains measured
Several economic and financial factors would influence how the NZ housing market performs during the rest of 2026, Mr Davidson said.
Around 59% of existing mortgages by value are due to be repriced over the next 12 months, which could provide some relief for households if borrowers move onto lower interest rates. However, global uncertainty and inflation pressures continue to pose unknown risks.
“The US-Israel-Iran conflict and higher fuel prices are potential inflation risks in the near term, but if those pressures prove temporary the Reserve Bank should still be able to hold the OCR steady,” he said.
“That would allow the housing market to gradually rebuild momentum, although any recovery in prices and sales volumes is likely to remain modest rather than rapid.”
The Cotality NZ Monthly Housing Chart Pack provides the latest breakdown of sales activity, listings, buyer classification, property values, rental trends, lending conditions and economic indicators across New Zealand.
Christopher Luxon’s electoral office has been converted into Trump’s war minerals headquarters today, reflecting the New Zealand Prime Minister’s new priority – turning Aotearoa into a critical minerals mining outpost that serves the US military agenda.
President Trump is demanding New Zealand agrees to a deal to provide the USA with minerals they regard as ‘critical’ – many of which have military applications. It wasrevealed yesterdaythat the government has been considering such a deal for months, in some detail, despite Luxon saying in February that any discussions were at “very preliminary” stages.
In response to the proposed critical minerals deal, activists raised a US flag outside Prime Minister Luxon’s electoral office in East Auckland, adding an image of President Trump to the office windows, decorating the lawn with US flags, and renaming the office as ‘Trump war minerals HQ’.
Greenpeace Aotearoa campaigner Juressa Lee warns any minerals deal would not only lead to environmental destruction from more mining projects on land and at sea, it would also make New Zealand complicit in Trump’s warmongering.
“The Luxon government must not sign Aotearoa away to fuel the United States’ illegal wars. New Zealand should have no part in this, and that includes giving Trump access to the resources he needs to keep dropping bombs.”
Earlier this month theUS Ambassador nomineeto New Zealand, billionaire Jared Novelly, confirmed the United States’ top goals for the Pacific region are both ‘expanding a US defence presence’ and ‘promoting business opportunities, particularly in critical minerals’. Lee says: “Our message to Luxon is clear. Aotearoa is not a US outpost. We must not allow the US to dictate widespread mining that could cause irreversible harm to the whenua, moana and people here in Aotearoa.”
Many of the minerals listed by the US as essential have military applications, including vanadium which is found off the coast of Taranaki. Vanadium is used in jet engines, airframes, ballistic missiles, and as a coating for night vision goggles.
“We are seeing in real time the terrible impacts of Trump’s wars across the world. New Zealand should not become complicit in this”, says Lee.
“We know a minerals deal would be bad for the land and sea of Aotearoa. But since the United States and Israeli Governments launched a military attack on Iran in clear breach of international law – the stakes are even higher.”
In February, the NZ government launched an $80m dollar fund as part of the Regional Infrastructure Fund to help minerals exploration. The announcement came just after the Fast Track committee declined a proposal by Trans Tasman Resources, the Australian mining company that wants to mine vanadium off the coast of Taranaki.
“We’re calling on Luxon to say no to a minerals deal with Trump. We’re also inviting the public to show their strong opposition to this deal if they’re concerned about complicity in war mongering and the exploitation of our environment for military aggression.
“This is not the first time the US has tried to disrupt a free and peaceful Pacific, the history of nuclear testing proves this. Aotearoa and the Pacific were united over stopping the region being a nuclear testing ground then and now we must do it again, and not be complicit in providing the materials for war.”
Originair has serviced Westport with an 18-seater Jetstream aircraft.Supplied
Buller’s mayor says it’s “devastating” Westport could lose its only air direct service.
Originair said the Wellington to Westport route is not commercially viable, asking central government to step in.
Buller District Council Mayor Chris Russell told Morning Report the service was a “lifeline connection” for isolated communities.
“The reality is that the route is just not economical which is quite devastating for us here in the Buller District.”
He said air travel could be the only way to evacuate if roads were cut off after a major earthquake or flooding.
“Losing the link, puts Buller and Northern Buller at risk of losing that connection in the event that something goes wrong, and we’ve got a business opportunities here too, particularly in Reefton, also mining in the Buller area too.”
Russell said it was a critical route, and in a major event coastal shipping is too slow, and an airport is vital.
“We’ll have to talk to government about that too, because keeping an airport open is not cheap either, and we are a small ratepayer base – so if we are not getting revenue to come in to help cover that, we have to ask the question of whether we go with it.”
Russell said the former mayor and staff had worked hard to bring Originair in after Sounds Air pulled out in 2024. He said he would be meeting with ministers late next week to discuss whether government support was possible.
Westport Airport.Nomad Audio and Video
Associate Transport Minister James Meager said in a statement that concessionary loans for regional airlines were available, but Originair had withdrawn its expression of interest for those loans.
He said the airline had expressed an interest in an alternate form of operational funding, which would require Cabinet to reconsider funding decisions.
Originair managing director Robert Inglis told Morning Report the route wasn’t economically viable, and concessionary loans for managing debt would not help in this case.
“They’re certainly not designed to support loss-making routes, and we’ve made that very clear to associate transport minister Meager, that we see absolutely no point in borrowing money to run a loss-making route.”
Inglis said it had been challenging operating the route with Buller district’s small population, and the company has had to reduce flights and increase fares.
He said the company had tried to operate a safe and reliable route for the past 15 months.
“This provides strategic oversight and co-ordinated leadership to agencies to ensure a quick and effective response to any potential disruptions to petrol, diesel, and jet fuel supplies, as well as other key supply chains.”
Moana return to Albany for the first time in 2026 this weekend.Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz
Moana Pasifika are finally back on the North Shore, entering round six of Super Rugby Pacific without having played a home game at North Harbour Stadium.
Albany became a fortress for the franchise in 2025, with fans turning out in force to witness historic results.
Among them was a first-ever win over the Blues, inspired by one of the greatest individual performances in Super Rugby history from Ardie Savea.
However, with Moana now languishing at the bottom of the Super Rugby ladder, there are concerns that the early-season momentum has stalled.
Head coach Fa’alogo Tana Umaga expressed frustration with the schedule.
“It’s tough, but that’s out of our hands and we can’t do much about that. Hopefully it’ll change next year.”
Moana Pasifika captain Ardie Savea celebrates his side’s win over the Blues.Brett Phibbs / www.photosport.nz
Albany bore witness to Ardie Savea’s masterclass in 2025.
Under their current licensing agreement, Moana can host only five games in Auckland per season.
Umaga suggested the arrangement was driven by the Blues to avoid oversaturating the Auckland market.
“It is what it is, but we’re here now. We’ve got a few games on the trot at home, so we’ve just got to make sure that we don’t just talk about it. We’re actually living what we talk about, and we’re excited about being home. It really does excite us.”
Despite the delayed return, Umaga remains hopeful fans will turn out for Saturday night’s clash with defending champions, the Crusaders.
“We’re playing at home and that’s important for us, in front of our people and our family. Everyone loves playing at home. We had a home game in Pukekohe and obviously it’s not like it is here (Albany) for us, but it’s just one of those things, and wherever we go, we’ve just got to be good.”
After opening the season with a road win over the Drua, Moana have since suffered four straight defeats, several by heavy margins.
“We’re in search of playing our game and hopefully we can get it.”
Adding to their woes, Moana have lost former All Blacks halfback Augustine Pulu for three weeks after he received a red card for a high shot on Blues halfback Sam Nock in Sunday’s loss at Eden Park.
“I’m happy that he (Nock) was able to get up straight away. It’s disappointing for us because we’ve had a few injuries in our halfbacks, and for Augie as well, because it’s only his second game back after a long layoff, and he’s worked so hard to get back to where he was.”
With their season at a crossroads, a return to Albany may provide the reset Moana Pasifika desperately need.
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Associate Education Minister David Seymour welcomes final Term 4 attendance data, which shows attendance rates were higher than any Term 4 since 2022. Daily attendance data also shows Term 1 this year is off to a good start.
Data shows in Term 4 2025, 57.3 per cent of students attended school regularly. A student attends school regularly when they are in class for 90 per cent of the term. This was an increase from 56.4per cent in Term 4 2024.
“This data shows attendance rates are rising again under this Government,” Mr Seymour says.
“In Term 4 2022 regular attendance was at 48.7 per cent. In Term 4 2025 about 150,000 more students attended school regularly than in 2022. Kiwi students are showing up to school more, and parents are pushing them to attend. Those students and parents should be proud.
“When the Government takes attendance seriously, so do schools, parents, and students. It’s important we continue to drive the change in attitude towards attendance.”
Central and East Auckland was the region with the highest regular attendance rate at 62.6%. This was followed by Otago/Southland at 62.5 per cent, and North and West Auckland and Canterbury/Chatham Islands, both at 61.7 per cent.
“Attendance rates are back on a steady upward trajectory. This is a good start, but there is still work to be done. I expect attendance to continue rising as the roll out of our attendance initiatives continues,” Mr Seymour says.
“The daily attendance dashboard shows that Term 1 this year is also off to a good start. The lowest daily attendance rate so far is 86.4 per cent. I expect this positive trend to continue. At the same time last year the lowest daily attendance rate was 80.1 per cent.
“Every school is now required to have implemented their own attendance management plan (AMP). It means there are escalating responses for declining attendance.”
Some examples of how interventions could work are:
5 days absent: The school to get in touch with parents/guardians to determine reasons for absence and set expectations.
10 days absent: School leadership meets with parents/guardian and the student to identify barriers to attendance and develop plans to address this.
15 days absent: Escalating the response to an Attendance Service Provider. If absence escalates beyond this point (or for cases of non-enrolment) prosecution of parents becomes a possibility.
“Frontline attendance services are now more accountable, better at effectively managing cases, and data-driven in their responses. They have access to a new case management system, better data monitoring, and their contracts will be more closely monitored. Budget 2025 included $140 million of additional funding to improve attendance over the next four years.
“Attending school is the first step towards achieving positive educational outcomes. Positive educational outcomes lead to better health, higher incomes, better job stability and greater participation within communities. These are opportunities that every student deserves.”
The full data breakdown can be found here: Attendance | Education Counts
Proposals are being sought from experienced operators to restore and operate the historic Chateau Tongariro and its associated buildings, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says.
Located in the heart of Tongariro National Park, the Chateau has long been an iconic destination for visitors and an important part of the region’s identity.
“The Request for Proposals (RFP), opening on 19 March 2026, invites interested parties to put forward plans that recognise both the heritage significance of the Chateau and the cultural importance of Tongariro National Park.
“The Chateau is a landmark many New Zealanders have visited for holidays to school trips and international visitors experiencing Tongariro for the first time.”
Restoring the building will help ensure the area continues to attract visitors while supporting local businesses and tourism in the wider region.
“We are looking for proposals that balance commercial viability with conservation values, respect for tangata whenua aspirations, and the unique character of Tongariro National Park.”
The RFP process will help identify operators capable of restoring the building while ensuring it remains consistent with the values of one of New Zealand’s most important national parks.
Notes to editors:
The RFP will be open from 19 March to 20 April 2026.
A panel will assess all proposals submitted through the RFP process. Participation in the RFP does not guarantee a concession, and applicants will need to demonstrate they can meet the Department of Conservation’s concession requirements, including all statutory, environmental, and heritage obligations.
Round Three of the successful Mental Health and Addiction Innovation Fund has been announced with changes that aim to increase access to support across New Zealand, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey announced.
“The Government’s mental health plan is delivering faster access to support, more frontline workers, and a better crisis response. Grassroots community organisations play a big role in helping us achieve that,” Mr Doocey says.
“Already, the Fund has supported nineteen organisations around the country, increasing access for many Kiwis. Initiatives include helping young people stay safe online, supporting young mothers, Women’s Refuge services, a crisis café, and support for people in the construction industry.”
“I have been very clear from the start that I am open to making changes to the Fund. I have heard the sector loud and clear that further changes were needed to allow more organisations to access funding. This idea was born from talking to the sector, so it is only right they have a say in the changes.”
In response, the requirement for an independent Social Return on Investment (SROI) report as part of the application process has been revised. Instead, applicants will submit a proposal outlining the intended outcomes and how potential social return will be measured. A full external SROI report will then be completed towards the end of the project.
“This change allows community organisations to use matched funding for half of the external SROI report, increasing access to the Fund while helping organisations clearly demonstrate the outcomes of their programmes,” Mr Doocey says.
“This approach opens the door for greater access to the Innovation Fund, while still maintaining robust evaluation and evidence. At the end of the day, we want grassroots organisations that know their communities best to bring forward new ideas that can be supported. I am proud that this Government is backing them.
“But the real winners are the thousands of people who benefit from the partnership, with more New Zealanders able to have timely access to support around the country.
“This is the second change to the fund. After the first round, we heard clearly from organisations that the $250,000 matched-funding requirement was a barrier. In response, that threshold was lowered to $100,000 in round two, further increasing access to the Fund.”
Notes to editor: • Contracts are expected to be in place from Quarter 1 2026/27. • With this change, $20 million has now been made available through the Fund. This third round will continue the Fund for a further two years, with $5 million per annum available in 2026/27 and 2027/28. Providers may submit proposals covering both years. • The full criteria includes: • Increases access to mental health and addiction support • Protects public specialist mental health and addiction services by reducing demand • Develops capacity in the mental health and addiction workforce Uses technology to drive productivity • Delivers scalable solutions for unmet need • Returns positive social return on investment (with evidence) • Achieves positive outcomes for target population groups that have evidence of poorer mental health outcomes than other groups • Will be co-funded on a dollar-for-dollar matched funding basis.
A plane slid off the runway in Christchurch.Supplied / JJ Green
A Jetstar plane swerved off the runway after landing at Christchurch because the pilot accidentally put the thrust lever on to full power causing the plane to accelerate, investigators say.
Passengers aboard the Airbus A320 plane travelling from Auckland reported a bumpy and “frightening” landing on 31 May 2024, although no one was injured.
The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC)’s report out on Thursday put it down to an accident but also noted a lack of proper training from Jetstar.
Chief investigator of accidents Louise Cook said during the flight one of the plane’s three hydraulic systems failed and the plane lost the ability to use its nosewheel to steer.
The crew followed standard operating procedures and continued with the flight to land at Christchurch where they planned to use differential braking to steer off the runway onto the rapid exit taxiway.
The landing went well until the crew lost directional control and the plane veered off the taxiway, hit an aerodrome signboard and continued across the grass until stopping back on the main runway, Cook said.
“The crew did a great job of landing the plane, had they stopped and then been towed off there would’ve been no issues,” she said.
“But they were trying to do the right thing and clear the runway so that other planes could use it, and so used the rapid exit way, and as they went to do that that’s when the pilot thought they were putting it into idle but in fact put the thrust lever forward into climb and full power.”
A Jetstar aircraft slid off the runway at Christchurch Airport on arrival.Supplied / JJ Green
Cook said the pilots were likely so focused on making that exit they missed important cues that the position of the thrust levers was not as intended.
“On the face of it, this option appeared safe and achievable to the pilots because Airbus documentation, repeated in Jetstar’s Flight Crew Techniques Manual, provided no guidance on use of differential braking specifically for steering off the runway via a rapid exit,” she said.
A Jetstar spokesperson said the airline had since changed its guidance to flight crews.
“We’ve worked closely with the regulator and Airbus to fully understand what occurred and have strengthened our procedures to help prevent a recurrence and ensure the ongoing safety and resilience of our operations,” Jetstar said.
TAIC said Airbus had accepted the commission’s recommendation to revise aircraft manuals and instructor guidance to mitigate the risk that other pilots might move the thrust levers while on the ground to an unintended position.
Airbus planed to do this in April and May 2026, it said.
“This accident also highlights the importance of maintenance engineers conducting a detailed inspection of new parts for potential damage before installation. In this case, a titanium hydraulic pipe was just 1mm out of shape – slightly oval, not round. It is very likely the deformity occurred when the pipe’s packaging was damaged in transit between Airbus warehouses in 2015,” the commission said.
“The damage was not detected before or after installation and failed after 18 months of service.”
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