A scathing Auditor General report said former council chief executive Paul Eagle’s actions over a project to upgrade his own accommodation were unacceptable and misleading.RNZ / Te Aniwa Hurihanganui
The Auditor General’s report, released last week, said former council chief executive Eagle’s actions over a project to upgrade his own accommodation were unacceptable and misleading, after costs blew out by more than $250,000.
A spokesperson for the office said it was assessing the report to determine whether there are sufficient grounds to open an enquiry or criminal investigation into the issues raised.
“At this stage, no further information can be given, including whether the SFO will open an enquiry or investigation.”
The council has referred concerns raised in a scathing Auditor General’s report to the Serious Fraud Office.
In a post on its Facebook page this week, the council said it had formally received the report and had unanimously resolved to refer it to the appropriate authority for consideration.
“We are committed to responding responsibly, transparently, and in the best interests of our community,” Mayor Greg Horler said.
The Auditor General’s report, released last week, said former council chief executive Paul Eagle’s actions over a project to upgrade his own accommodation were unacceptable, after costs blew out by $250,000.
Eagle’s handling of documents was misleading and showed exceptionally poor judgement, the report said.
The original budget was set at $200,000 and blew out to $460,001.65. Another $37,739.19 was also spent on rent to house Eagle and his family as the work went ahead.
“We saw little sign of any consideration of containing costs during the project. We also consider that the chief executive made spending choices that were not moderate and conservative,” the report said.
“Purchasing expensive appliances for the kitchen and carrying out extensive electrical work that suppliers working on the project widely considered to be excessive were particularly questionable.”
The report also uncovered “serious integrity questions” for the council to contend with, including its policies relating to procurement, conflicts of interest, staff expenses and fiscal reporting.
It said Eagle had sole oversight over the project, and because the cost of the upgrade could be perceived as benefiting Eagle, his family should have instigated approval by the council, mayor or deputy mayor, in line with council policy.
The report was tabled in Parliament last Thursday.
“We have not reached a view on the legality of the chief executive’s actions. In this case, we consider it sufficient to draw the council, Parliament, and the public’s attention to the matter.”
In a letter included in the report findings, Eagle, who resigned last month, apologised and said his actions did not meet the standards expected of himself and his role.
“I started as chief executive of the council in late 2023, three months earlier than planned and, because of the illness of the outgoing chief executive, did not receive a formal, structured induction process covering the policies, processes, systems and documentation expected of the role.
“I wholeheartedly accept now that I should have sought clarity and support for this process.”
Interim council chief executive Bob Penter declined to be interviewed.
Paul Eagle has been contacted for comment.
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Main construction is getting underway on the Waihoehoe Road Upgrade, helping to build the future of Auckland’s transport system Transport Minister Chris Bishop says.
“This marks a major milestone in delivering improved transport connections and supporting long‑term growth in the Drury area,” says Mr Bishop.
“Alongside other investments already underway in South Auckland, including the SH1 Papakura to Drury improvements, the new Drury, Ngākōroa, and Paerātā train stations, and the planned SH22 Drury upgrade, the Waihoehoe Road project will ensure roads and rail are being delivered together as a connected transport network.
“South Auckland is the region’s fastest growing area with more than 120,000 additional people expected to make it their home over the next 30 years. Investing in an integrated transport network supports the Government’s priorities of unlocking growth and improving access to new housing and jobs.
“Waihoehoe Road will ultimately form part of a major east–west arterial route, running approximately 4.5 kilometres between Drury Hills Road and Jesmond Road. The corridor will support local communities and future rapid public transport services, helping connect people to the nearby Drury and Ngākōroa train stations.
“The project will widen and upgrade a 400‑metre section of Waihoehoe Road between Great South Road and Kath Henry Lane, improving safety, capacity and resilience.
“Access to the new Drury train station and nearby housing developments currently underway will also be improved, while laying the foundations for future growth in the area.”
Notes to Editor:
Key project features include:
Additional traffic lanes, increasing from two to four lanes, and up to six lanes on the new Waihoehoe Road bridge
New signalised intersections at Waihoehoe Road/Great South Road and Waihoehoe Road/Kath Henry Lane
A new, higher bridge over the North Island Main Trunk Line, with space to allow for KiwiRail to construct 3rd and 4th mains in the future.
Capacity for future bus lanes
New walking and cycling connections between Great South Road and the new Drury Train Station
Enabling works were completed in early 2025, and piling commenced in November 2025 to prepare the site for main construction work.
The project is expected to be completed in mid‑2028, at an expected cost of $136 to $148 million.
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.”
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 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.
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.
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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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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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Christopher Luxon speaks at Tonga’s police headquarters, announcing further support for the Pacific Detector Dog programme.Giles Dexter / RNZ
Analysis: When stuck in a bind, Christopher Luxon can always rely on talking about law and order.
It’s one of the few things National continues to outpoll Labour on in the Ipsos Issues Monitor, and something he took with him to the Pacific.
Luxon has weathered the storm of some bad polls, and the Pacific is always a perfect location to get away from the grind of Wellington and leave the sticky issues to his ministers.
Though this trip almost got derailed before it had even began, he will be returning from Samoa and Tonga satisfied that the New Zealand government is doing its bit to help its Pacific neighbours with transnational crime and the fight against drug trafficking.
But questions over what specific support New Zealand can offer on fuel resilience remain, as does the pain point on visa access.
RNZ / Giles Dexter
Those calling for New Zealand to allow its Pacific family to have the same rights as people from 60 other countries, and be granted visa waivers at the border, would have felt Luxon’s trip was a perfect opportunity for him to announce a liberalising of immigration laws.
Instead, just ahead of the trip, the government announced a trial of cheaper visas, which Luxon pointed to as New Zealand doing its bit.
The gesture was certainly appreciated by Tonga’s prime minister, Lord Fakafanua, but Samoa’s more bellicose prime minister La’aulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Fosi Schmidt will continue to make the call for New Zealand to go further.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in Samoa.RNZ / Giles Dexter
On the eve of the trip, La’aulialemalietoa caused a minor diplomatic incident, which threatened to overshadow Luxon’s entire time in Samoa.
The ‘did-he-didn’t-he-no-he-didn’t-stop-asking-about-it’ over Luxon’s matai title Tuisinavemaulumoto’otua is likely to be the subject of ongoing discussion in Samoa even as he leaves Apia behind, as will whether New Zealand should be doing more in compensation for the sinking of the HMNZS Manawanui. On that point, Luxon was clear that the compensation was full and final, but is open to further discussions on the wreck’s future.
There is no doubt Luxon was annoyed by the entire matai title episode, though he would never admit it. He was keen to brush the incident off, and instead talk about where he and La’aulialemalietoa were aligned.
NZ Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is greeted by cabinet minister Dr. Taniela Fusimalohi in a rainy Nuku’alofa, Tonga after arriving with his delegation.RNZ / Giles Dexter
Luxon will take home a feeling that he dodged a bullet somewhat, escaping what was on the verge of turning from a minor diplomatic headache into a full-blown squabble.
It did not help that every time New Zealand made it clear he did not ask for his matai, La’aulialemalietoa would dig in deeper, telling an gala dinner audience in front of Luxon (but speaking in
Samoan so Luxon would not immediately hear) that it took phone calls in the wee small hours of Monday morning to smooth things over.
His rapport with Lord Fakafanua was certainly calmer, with Luxon speaking fondly of the time he had lunch with the prime minister nearly two years ago, when he was still the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.
While it is normal for leaders to recall previous meetings, the warmth and specificity of Luxon’s memories of the occasion look like he has found another strong ally in the Pacific, joining the likes of Dalton Tagelagi and Sitiveni Rabuka as leaders he has genuinely enjoyed strong rapport with.
RNZ / Giles Dexter
The fuel crisis is of growing concern in the Pacific, and Luxon and his Pacific counterparts have vowed to share whatever information they get with each other.
Both Tonga and Samoa are focused on having enough energy-in country, with Tonga’s prime minister less concerned about the prospect of Air New Zealand cutting back its Pacific connections than he is on ensuring he manages his people’s expectations. For now, Lord Fakafanua is reassuring Tongans that the fuel supply is fine.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s bilateral with Tongan counterpart Lord Fatafehi Fakafanua in Nuku’alofa.RNZ / Giles Dexter
Both countries see information-sharing as the main thing they can do for each other, for the moment. Luxon sees the question of whether New Zealand would divert some of its fuel to Samoa or Tonga as a hypothetical, but the longer the conflict goes on, the more New Zealand may have to think about the options. It would be a good gesture to a friend and neighbour, but if New Zealanaders start paying significantly more at the pump, it may be politically unpalatable.
Transnational crime, as well, will rely on New Zealand, Samoa, and Tonga scaling up their information-sharing. Agreements between police and customs, more money for detector dogs, and allowing Samoa and Tonga to subscribe Starboard’s maritime intelligence platform were all welcomed by Luxon’s hosts.
RNZ / Giles Dexter
The presence of the police commissioner, chief executive of customs, and the police minister on the trip were all a sign of how seriously New Zealand takes the matter (although Mark Mitchell’s main responsibility appeared to be as morale booster – raising the flag at a school rugby league game as sports minister, and ably attempting to fill time before a long-delayed joint-Cabinet meeting in Apia by talking rugby league and wondering whether the long wait was because the prime ministers had decided to get a head start on the roast pig.)
It will take a lot more to solve the problem, but these are all good starts, and show the Pacific uniting on a response to a Pacific problem. Luxon will be keen to get updates if he does end up attending the Pacific Islands Forum in Palau later this year.
RNZ / Giles Dexter
Luxon leaves Samoa and Tonga with a renewed satisfaction the countries are on top of the drug crisis, but also returns with some rather special gifts.
In addition his matai title, a fue, and model fale and school buildings, Luxon was also presented with a portrait, painted by students from a local Methodist church.
It was slightly less flattering than the one they painted of La’aulialemalietoa, but Luxon laughed it off. Exactly where it will be displayed is still to be determined, with Luxon saying it would go “straight to the pool room.”
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters is known to distribute some of the many gifts he receives amongst his staff, so perhaps one lucky Dignitary Protection Service staffer will have something to take home with them.
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Wayde Egan in action for the Warriors against Canberra Raiders.Andrew Cornaga/Photosport
After two games of the 2026 NRL season, NZ Warriors hooker Wayde Egan feels great – and you’d expect nothing less.
With a chance to recharge his batteries over the summer, the veteran is suitably bright-eyed and bushy tailed, contributing mightily to a winning start that has caught even the club’s most fervent fans by surprise.
In the space of seven days, they have piled 40 points on two highly-rated opponents and have their faithful believing this may be the year they break their championship drought.
“Very pleased, but it’s a long season,” Egan acknowledged. “We can’t get too far ahead of ourselves.
“We’ve obviously started very well and we’re very pleased, but we can’t rest on that. We’ve got to look forward to the Knights this week, who will be a really tough test.
“[I’m] feeling good, but it’s a long season and we have a long way to go.”
Maybe no-one on the Warriors roster can personally attest to exactly how long a season can become.
Twelve months ago, he led the competition in dummy-half runs, partly due to the fact he was playing every minute of every game in one of the most demanding positions on the field.
In fact, he logged the full 80 minutes for the first five games of their schedule and had many predicting a State of Origin call-up, such was his form.
By the end of the season, Egan, 28, was noticeably drained.
After darting an average of eight times for 73 metres across those first five fixtures, he didn’t run at all in his final regular-season outing against Parramatta Eels, then sat out the following week in a bid to freshen up.
He ran four times for 46 metres, but none in the first half, as the Warriors were eliminated from the playoffs by Penrith Panthers.
The 2026 campaign has started out very differently for Egan, with coach Andrew Webster introducing understudy Sam Healey with about half an hour to go against Sydney Roosters and Canberra Raiders.
“Obviously, if you can have a little break every now and then, that’s not a bad thing,” he said. “Having Sammy there and some great depth to the club is awesome – it’s been nice to have a little break the first couple of weeks.
“I haven’t spent too much time [on the sideline], but it’s obviously a different perspective. Whatever the coaching staff want, I’ll do it.
Wayde Egan and Sam Healey have become an effective one-two punch for the Warriors.Andrew Cornaga/Photosport
“If that means playing big minutes or if it doesn’t, I’m happy to do that.”
If the plan was to have Egan put his feet up until the final whistle, circumstances haven’t quite panned out that way.
Against the Roosters, he had to return for the final few minutes, when Healey left early for a concussion check, which he duly passed.
Against the Raiders, Egan was summoned back onto the field to play five-eighth, when Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad was also required for a head injury assessment, which he failed.
Halfback Tannah Boyd seemed somewhat bemused to see the hooker join him in unfamiliar territory.
“I definitely wasn’t going to give him space, because he’s a bit slower, the big fella,” Boyd chuckled.
“Nah, he’s fine – he’s that type of player. He’s so smart, Waydo, and knows the game so well, so he can fill in anywhere.”
Egan actually has previous experience in the Warriors No.6 jersey. During their disastrous 2022 campaign, he was forced to step in for Chanel Harris-Tavita less than half an hour into a home game against Melbourne Storm and was retained in the starting position eight days later against South Sydney.
Both games were lost.
He may yet find himself filling that role again this week, with both Harris-Tavita and Nicoll-Klokstad ruled out by concussion.
First-choice fullback Nicoll-Klokstad has been the team’s Swiss army knife, capable of covering any position in the backline, and without him, Webster’s options will be limited in the event of injury.
The only specialist back cover on the interchange is winger Alofiana Khan-Pereira, so Roger Tuivasa-Sheck may be asked to play fullback or centre as required, but he has never played half.
Egan at least has that in his resume.
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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 the accident down to pilot error but also 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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Nicola Willis said the help could be available, for example, to a cleaner needing to drive to work early in the morning when there was no public transport.
E tū union member Ayesha Paki had a roughly 30-minute drive, six days a week, to her job at Auckland Airport.
“Everything is expensive and now the petrol has affected all of us cleaners and low pay workers. We are so worried,” she said.
Paki, who worked 10pm to 6am shifts, said it was a very tough time.
“Petrol is going up everytime I go in my car,” she said.
“We are renting and we have to pay the bills, electricity, put the food on the table, it’s hard for us.”
Paki said any government support would be appreciated.
“If our wages go up it will be easier for us. That’s why we fight for our Fair Pay agreement but then they scrapped it, and we cleaners are suffering and struggling.”
On Monday, Willis said the government was “anticipating, and to the extent possible mitigating the impact on the New Zealand economy, including what could potentially be acute cost of living pressures for some households”.
“From the government’s point of view, we need to ensure that any support we provide to households is temporary, is targeted and is timely,” she said.
Willis said official advice was that reducing fuel excise would “send the wrong signal” and not be sufficiently targeted.
Willis said her household would not need as much help financially as others, using the example of a South Auckland airport cleaner who could not take the bus to work.
“We need to make sure that we have in mind those New Zealanders who face the most acute cost of living pressures rather than having blanket responses which tie up a lot of others.”
She would not give a price petrol would have to reach at the pump before the government would take action, saying prices had been higher in the past.
“I am working with the Treasury and we will have a range of options,” she said, which would be discussed with Cabinet. She said whatever the government did would have to be prudent and not contribute to inflation.
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SHANGHAI / HONG KONG – Media OutReach Newswire – 18 March 2026 – HealthMutual Group (HMG) and SinoUnited Health (SUH) today signed a collaboration agreement to establish a comprehensive cross-border medical service framework. This partnership is designed to meet the clients’ growing demand for high-quality medical services in China.
Under this agreement, SinoUnited Health will serve as HMG’s anchor hospital and primary healthcare hub in Shanghai. The partnership establishes a standardized framework for cross-border care, focusing on clinical excellence and financial predictability. HMG members will gain access to SinoUnited Health’s elite specialist network across Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Suzhou, supported by fully transparent fee structures.
The collaboration is backed by HMG’s significant operational scale. Currently ranking within the top three in the industry for total new business premium, HMG supports its insurance partners in serving over 700,000 clients. With HK$150 million in medical expenses processed to date, HMG’s network connects 700 specialists and 13 private hospitals in Hong Kong with over 2,000 hospitals across Mainland China.
“The demand for cross-border medical services is increasing rapidly,” said Mr. KC Chan, Founder of HealthMutual Group. “Partnering with SinoUnited Health is a natural expansion of our robust GBA network. SUH’s reputation for excellence ensures that our vision—maintaining medical insurance as a sustainable funding source for quality care—now extends firmly into the Shanghai region.”
Sharon Cheng, Vice President of Business Development, SinoUnited Health added: “This collaboration aligns perfectly with our ‘patient-first’ philosophy. By combining HMG’s massive regional reach with our world-class medical care, we are creating a seamless ‘home-away-from-home’ experience for patients. We are proud to serve as the Shanghai gateway for HMG’s 700,000+ policyholders, offering them professional integrity and access to the latest medical technologies.”
To ensure long-term service quality, the two groups will conduct quarterly professional exchanges and site inspections, allowing Hong Kong insurance partners to directly interface with SUH’s international medical teams and advanced clinical facilities.
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 18 March 2026 – On the opening day of Hong Kong FILMART, global leading game enterprise, MOONTON Games, hosted a film-game intellectual property (IP) launch conference under the theme From Spark to Spotlight, officially announcing its cross-border upgrade from the game industry to full ecological incubation of film-game IPs. At the event, MOONTON Games unveiled three flagship original IPs—You Ming Zhi, Cetus, and Project: Lovania—spanning Eastern fantasy, sci-fi adventure, and cozy genres, with diversified formats including feature films, animated series, and video games. An industry forum was held to explore the new-era development of film-game integration.
Distinguished guests attended the conference, including Cloud Zhang, Head of ByteDance’s Game Business and CEO of MOONTON Games; Yaguang Ma, also known as Link Ma, Head of MOONTON Games’ Lighthouse Studio; renowned screenwriter Ran Ping; celebrated author Jiang Nan; acclaimed animation director Shen Youbafang; Wang Shanshan (Film and Television Director of Science Fiction World); as well as leaders from the National Radio and Television Administration; the Hong Kong Trade Development Council; numerous media representatives; and industry peers.
Founded in 2014, MOONTON Games has crafted a portfolio of classic game IPs loved by gamers worldwide. Its debut at Hong Kong FILMART marks the launch of MOONTON Games’ global incubation journey for premium IPs with a brand-new vision, completing a cross-dimensional creative leap from a digital game kingdom to a cinematic light and shadow realm, and empowering Chinese culture-rooted original content to shine on the international stage. MOONTON Games’ Lighthouse Studio, the core vehicle for its film-game IP development, made its official debut at the conference, and its unwavering commitment to long-termist creative philosophy has become the cornerstone of Moonton’s film-game integration layout. The three distinctive original IPs form MOONTON Games’ first film-game IP matrix; all anchored in high-quality content, they pose profound emotional inquiries around What it means to be human, what it means to live, with unique themes and expressive formats.
You Ming Zhi: Rooted in Chinese Folk Customs, Forging a Benchmark for Eastern Fantasy Theatrical Animated Films
As MOONTON Games’ maiden cross-border film and television project, the Eastern fantasy IP You Ming Zhi—deeply rooted in Chinese folk culture—officially kicked off at the conference. The IP builds a distinctive worldview where the world is governed by animal Spirits of Light, and humans embark on a quest to uncover their own history and the meaning of survival. Breaking free from the clichés of traditional immortal and chivalric fantasy, it returns to a narrative core rooted in mortal life and journey experiences. The growth story of protagonist Zhou Chu mirrors the self-discovery and identity exploration of contemporary young people, embodying both profound Chinese cultural heritage and universal emotional resonance.
The IP’s first concept short film made a stunning debut at the conference. Wanzhou Yu, the IP producer, shared that creative inspiration stemmed from personal emotional resonance, aiming to create a humanistic Eastern fantasy work where the protagonist achieves inner growth through witnessing rather than conquering. Cloud stated that this IP was chosen as the starting point of MOONTON Games’ cross-border endeavor for its compelling narrative rooted in Chinese folk customs that transcends media boundaries; it reflectsand MOONTON Games’ aspirations to set an aesthetic and narrative benchmark for it with the ceremonial essence of film. Yaguang Ma highlighted the IP’s pure creative team, original worldview and systematic aesthetic system, believing it to be an IP seed with sustainable growth potential for a decade. A landmark announcement was made: national first-class screenwriter Ran Ping officially joined the project as the animated film’s screenwriter. Ran Ping noted that the IP’s allure lies in exploring profound propositions of civilization, loneliness and coexistence through a fantasy lens, integrating the traditional heritage of ancient supernatural tales with modern narrative consciousness, and a great fantasy work ultimately reflects reality. The MOONTON Games team presented Ran Ping with a framed original art poster of the IP, marking his official joining in a highly ceremonial way.
Cetus: Debut of a Dieselpunk Sci-Fi IP, Launching a Global Co-creation Plan
Following You Ming Zhi, MOONTON Games released the high-concept sci-fi IP Cetus, with the first concept short film of its dieselpunk post-apocalyptic adventure animated series also unveiled at the event. The IP constructs a post-apocalyptic world shrouded in a sea of clouds, where humans have built a unique civilization based on whaling in an isolated island setting, and cling to hope and resolve amid ruins and steel.
Cetus boasts celebrated author, Jiang Nan, as co-creator and acclaimed sci-fi animation director, Shen Youbafang, as director—two core creative forces with profound expertise in building grand worldviews and crafting sci-fi animations. Yaguang Ma commented that Jiang Nan has endowed Cetus with a profound textual foundation and epic grandeur, while Shen Youbafang masterfully captures and presents the distinctive texture of this sea of clouds world to audiences. Jiang Nan explained that the core of Cetus is to depict the essence of humanity in desperate situations: even if only one tower remains in the world, there will still be stories, warmth, and dignity. Shen Youbafang frankly shared that the challenge and joy of creation both lie in building a dieselpunk visual system that blends industrial ruggedness with the warmth of life, making every gear and rust mark an integral part of the narrative. Moonton also announced the official launch of the Cetus Global Co-creation Plan at the conference, opening up the IP’s worldview setting to global sci-fi writers, illustrators, animators and game designers, and inviting creators worldwide to jointly build this magnificent sea of clouds universe. The plan is jointly promoted by MOONTON Games and Science Fiction World, the benchmark platform for Chinese sci-fi literature. Cloud, Wang Shanshan and three other distinguished guests launched the plan with a jigsaw puzzle ceremony, marking Cetus as the first Chinese dieselpunk sci-fi IP nurtured by global creators.
Project: Lovania: A Cozy Game Surprise Debuts, Creating a Spiritual Haven
As a delightful surprise at the conference, MOONTON Games launched the original cozy game, Project: Lovania, whose promotional short film brought a warm and heartfelt experience to the audience. The game builds a fairy-tale wonderland named the Hometown Never Forgotten, where players take on the role of a little puppet and embark on a magical adventure following a long-eared star. In the game, players can build exclusive homes, customize their avatars, and pursue the starlight and the moon hidden in fascinating stories. In an era driven by efficiency, Project: Lovaniacenters on the core of healing, serving as a warm emotional complement to MOONTON Games’ IP matrix and adding greater diversity to the company’s film-game IP layout.
For The Future: MOONTON Games Releases the Core Strategy for Film-Game Integration
At the conference, MOONTON Games showcased the creative aspirations and team spirit of Lighthouse Studio through a corporate short film, with original aspiration and unwavering faith as the studio’s core tenets. On behalf of the studio, Yaguang Ma released MOONTON Games’ core strategy for film-game integration, stating that the establishment of Lighthouse Studio stems from MOONTON Games’s persistent commitment to long-termist content creation. The studio rejects rushed content production, focuses on returning to the essence of creation itself, and builds a tailored creative ecosystem for the sustainable growth of premium IPs.
MOONTON Games’ film-game integration layout is not a simple cross-media expansion, but is centered on building a living, evolving world. Each IP is enabled to naturally evolve into diverse formats including games, films and animations, based on a complete worldview and a profound emotional core. Cloud emphasized that MOONTON Games has always believed that a good story transcends media and time, and the core of film-game integration is to take high-quality original content as the foundation, allowing IPs to realize value amplification and enduring vitality across different media. The three IPs released at the event represent the first implementation of this core strategy, and Moonton will continue to deepen its focus on original content creation, fueling the incubation and growth of more film-game IPs in the future.
Industry Elites Gather at the Forum to Explore the Key to Success for the Future of Film-Game Integration
After the IP release session, MOONTON Games hosted an industry forum themed What is the Decisive Factor for the Future of IP-Based Film-Game Integration, moderated by Li Xingwen, a famous cultural critic and Chief Editor of Film and Television Critic. Cloud, Ran Ping, Jiang Nan, and Huang Haibo, Director of Phoenix TV Movie Channel, engaged in an in-depth discussion from diverse professional perspectives.
The forum delved into core topics including the key factors for translating film-game integration concepts into practical execution, the essential traits of IPs with sustainable cross-media vitality, the creative differences between animation and traditional film and television production, the creative adaptation of literary IPs for film and game cross-border development, the new forces urgently needed in the film and television industry, as well as the opportunities and challenges for game enterprises venturing into the film and television sector. Combining their rich practical experience and insightful industry observations, the guests offered multi-dimensional insights and ideas for the industrial development of film-game integration, helping the on-site audience gain a clearer and more in-depth understanding of its future development trends.
MOONTON Games’ film-game IP launch conference at Hong Kong FILMART marks the official launch of the company’s global film-game IP layout, emerging as a pivotal practice for game enterprises in cross-border film-game integration. From deepening its roots in the game industry to incubating film-game IPs, MOONTON Games takes these three original IPs as its starting point, integrating the essence of Chinese culture with modern creative expression. With its long-termist creative philosophy and open co-creation operation model, Moonton sets a new paradigm for the development of the global film-game integration industry. As the conference theme From Spark to Spotlight implies, this launch is not the end of MOONTON Games’ cross-border film and game journey, but the beginning of a new chapter. In the future, Moonton’s Lighthouse Studio will continue to polish high-quality original content, drive the in-depth integration and global development of film-game IPs, and let Chinese original film-game IPs shine brightly on the world stage.
Hashtag: #MOONTONGames
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
The council is pushing ahead with plans to reduce the Takapuna Gold Course to nine holes.Nick Monro
Hopes of retaining an 18-hole golf course in Takapuna have been sunk – but 12 holes could still be on the cards for the golfers.
Auckland Council is turning half of the existing 18-hole golf course at AF Thomas Park into a floodwater catchment, aimed at mitigating the city’s increasing flood risks.
The Wairau area on Auckland’s North Shore has been hit hard by floods, and the council has said its decision was about “saving lives, protecting homes and businesses, and strengthening the city against flood risk”.
But thousands of people have signed a petition to keep the 18 holes on the course – with supporters including Hall of Fame golfer Dame Lydia Ko.
But Takapuna Golf Course is taking another swing at the proposal, and has come up with a plan to give the council the area it needs for the wetland, while squeezing 12 holes into the remaining space.
Takapuna Golf Course head greens keeper Stephen Dowd told Checkpoint the three extra holes would make a big difference, and followed moves in Europe and the United States towards 12-hole golf.
“It just gives us a more meaningful round of golf. We can play two sixes, which you can associate with playing two nines, and it can be more like a normal round of golf, rather than just playing nine holes, and it lets us operate pretty much as we are now. We can sell an extra tee-off time in the morning for a couple of hours, so people can play the other six.
“It just lets us operate and then we can continue to provide more affordable golf to as many Kiwis as we can, and get more people on the course.”
Head greens keeper Stephen Dowd.Takapuna Golf Club
Dowd said the golf course had not yet seen the council’s full proposal, but they were confident they could make the 12 holes work.
“We just have to come up with our own plan. They’ve seen our plan and we believe some of them actually like it.
“We anticipate the wetland will take up around a third of the course. So we need about 22 hectares of the rest of the course.”
He said they were working with a designer and were trying to accommodate other peoples wishes that they wanted extra recreation on the course.
“If we want more land, it won’t be very much more, only two or three more hectares.”
The local community board will discuss the new proposal at a meeting next week.
While the golfers had fought to keep the 18 holes, Dowd said they had accepted that the course needed to change.
“Obviously, the flooding was a massive issue and that was last year’s fight, we made the decision last year that we needed to start working with the council.
“And we think this is a good plan that accomplishes all their goals, while leaving meaningful golf on Takapuna Golf Course for our 100,00 users we get every year.”
The Takapuna Golf Course.Nick Monro
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
– 18 March 2026 – The world’s largest telecommunications infrastructure service provider
(“China Tower”, or the “Company”) (Stock Code: 0788.HK) is pleased to announce its annual results for the year ended 31 December 2025.
In 2025, the Company’s operating revenue maintained stable growth and profitability remained strong. Operating revenue for the year reached RMB100,411 million, an increase of 2.7% year-on-year. EBITDA reached RMB65,814 million, a decrease of 1.1% year-on-year, with an EBITDA margin
of 65.5%. Profit attributable to the owners of the Company reached RMB11,630 million, an increase of 8.4% year-on-year, with a net profit margin of 11.6%.
The Company maintained a strong and stable cash flow. Net cash generated from operating activities for the year amounted to RMB56,116 million, an increase of RMB6,648 million year-on-year. Capital expenditures stood at RMB29,486 million while free cash flow[3] reached RMB26,630 million, up by RMB9,103 million year-on-year.
As at 31 December 2025, our total assets amounted to RMB336,579 million, with interest-bearing liabilities of RMB90,460 million and a gearing ratio[4] of 27.7%, representing a decrease of 3.3 percentage points from the end of 2024. Our financial position remains healthy and stable.
The Company has always attached great importance to shareholder returns. After considering our profitability, cash flow and future development needs, the board of directors of the Company has recommended a final dividend of RMB0.32539 per share (pre-tax) for the year ended 31 December 2025. Together with the interim dividend distributed, the total full-year dividend amounted to RMB0.45789 per share (pre-tax), equivalent to a payout ratio of 77% of our annual distributable net profit.
Refined operations enabled steady progress in TSPbusiness
The Company continued to play a leading role in new 5G infrastructure construction, further deployed the Dual-Gigabit network joint-entry implementation, and made solid progress in supporting special projects such as upgrading signal strength, extending broadband coverage to all border areas, forests and grasslands. Capturing the strategic opportunities arising from the wide-area 5G network coverage expansion and enhancement of in-depth coverage, we focused on enhancing intensive sharing of network resources and fully satisfying customers’ demands for network construction. As a result, our TSP business maintained stable growth in 2025, recording revenue of RMB84,725 million, an increase of 0.7% year-on-year.
Towerbusiness. The Company seized opportunities arising from customers’ ongoing network expansion requirements and leveraged our competitiveness as a service provider by offering efficient delivery, superior maintenance and optimal cost structure, while minimizing management risks. We deepened the embedded service mechanism, precisely captured customers’ network planning needs, and comprehensively secured construction demands in key scenarios and key regions. Leveraging our site resources and base station data, we proactively conducted coverage analysis to enhance network optimization capabilities. We also enhanced our collaborations with TSPs to provide customers with better services. By adhering to a customer-oriented philosophy, we continued to optimize end-to-end business processes and management standards to enhance service capabilities across the board. In 2025, revenue from our Tower business amounted to RMB75,498 million, a decrease of 0.3% year-on-year. As at the end of 2025, the Company managed a total of 2.149 million tower sites, an increase of 55,000 from the end of 2024. We have gained 23,000 new TSP tenants since the end of 2024, bringing the total number of TSP tenants to 3.567 million at the end of 2025. Our TSP tenancy ratio was 1.70.
DAS business. We continued to focus on high-value and livelihood-critical scenarios, systematically enhancing resource coordination and sharing, and collaborative construction capabilities, as well as accelerating 5G network upgrades on high-speed railways. At the same time, we deployed shared repeaters at scale in everyday scenarios such as elevators, underground parking lots, tunnels, and residential communities, helping TSPs achieve efficient and low-cost network coverage extension. We continued to optimize the integrated active and passive DAS sharing solutions and promoted the implementation of innovative solutions such as shared frequency shifting in existing DAS 5G upgrades. By doing so, we enhanced product and service competitiveness to efficiently meet customer needs. In 2025, our DAS business achieved relatively high growth, with revenue reaching RMB9,227 million, an increase of 9.5% year-on-year. By the end of 2025, we had covered buildings with a cumulative area of 15.15 billion square meters, up by 19.5% year-on-year, while the coverage in railway tunnels and subways reached a cumulative length of 33,661 kilometers, an increase of 14.8% year-on-year.
Vertical advancement supported strong growth in Two Wings business
In the Two Wings business, we seized market opportunities while continuing to strengthen product competitiveness and drive rapid growth of the business. In 2025, revenue of the Two Wings business reached RMB14,985 million and accounted for 14.9% of our overall operating revenue, an increase of 1.2 percentage points over the same period last year.
Smart Tower business. Focusing on spatial digital intelligence governance and leveraging ourrich resources and capabilities, we continued to enhance our Smart Tower business, achievingrevenue in excess of RMB10 billion. We continued to deepen our presence in key industries andscenarios, steadily increasing market share in key areas such as straw burning prohibition, farmlandprotection, and disaster alert. We advanced our nationwide distributed platform, optimizingalgorithm service capabilities for mid-to-high point scenarios, with further improvements inplatform response speed, algorithm accuracy, and application availability. We maintained our focuson implementing the “AI+” special project, promoting the application of large models for spatialdigital intelligence governance, which were included in the first batch of strategic high-value AIscenarios for central state-owned enterprises. Customers are always at the center of everything wedo. Therefore, we strengthened the development of product iterations, construction delivery,and operation and maintenance support, as well as expanding our integrated technical support teams,with an aim to respond actively and promptly to customers’ needs. In 2025, our Smart Tower business generated revenue of RMB10,172 million, up by 14.2% year-on-year, among which, revenue from our Tower Monitoring business reached RMB6,327 million, accounting for 62.2% of the Smart Tower business revenue.
Energy business. We focused on key business segments such as battery exchange and powerbackup. By improving refined operations and strengthening core capabilities and competitiveadvantages in products, services, and platforms, we continued to develop our specialty in theEnergy business. For the battery exchange business, we continued to expand our share in the fooddelivery mass market while accelerating the expansion of our corporate customer base, resulting instable user growth. As at 31 December 2025, we had approximately 1.477 million battery exchangeusers, an increase of 173,000 since the end of 2024, further solidifying our leading position inthe low-speed electric vehicle battery exchange market. We accelerated the construction of acommunity-based low-speed electric vehicle charging facility network while optimizing operationalefficiency, resulting in expanded service coverage and user scale. For the power backup business,we continued to focus on pivotal industries and our premium customer base, creating the ChinaTower “energy butler” integrated industry solutions and enhancing the value of our “energy butler”brand. In 2025, our Energy business achieved revenue of RMB4,813 million, a year-on-year increase of 7.5%, of which the battery exchange business accounted for RMB3,029 million, an increase of21.2% year-on-year, and with its contribution to the Energy business reaching 62.9%.
Innovation strategy resulted in remarkable technology empowerment
We made concrete progress in developing the “four lists” working mechanism of competencies and capabilities, task and project planning, resource allocation, and the commercialization of research outcomes. Focusing on the “One Core and Two Wings” businesses, we continued to intensify our efforts to address the challenges in key and core technologies, and accelerated the transformation of technological achievements to inject new momentum into high-quality business development. In 2025, our R&D investment and the number of R&D personnel increased by 82% and 22% respectively, compared to 2024. The number of patent applications and the cumulative number of patent authorizations increased by 77% and 54%, respectively, compared to the year before. We participated in the formulation of multiple international standards. A range of innovative products were commercialized and deployed at scale such as shared micro repeaters, monitoring platforms, and “one code for all”. Our technological innovation system continued to strengthen, as shown in the high-quality construction and development of six regional technological innovation centers, the expansion and quality improvement of joint innovation platforms, and the steady enhancement of innovation efficiency and performance.
Mr. Zhang Zhiyong, Chairman of China Tower said, “In 2025, we remained focused on high-quality development, promoting stability through progress while improving quality and efficiency. As a result, throughout the year our business maintained healthy, steady growth and demonstrated a positive outlook. Looking ahead, we will continue to uphold the philosophy of resource sharing and adhere to the “One Core and Two Wings” strategy to further enhance our core competitiveness, promote high-quality development, and create value for shareholders, customers, and society.”
[1] EBITDA is calculated by operating profit plus depreciation and amortization.
[2] EBITDA margin is calculated by dividing EBITDA by operating revenue, and multiplying the resulting value by 100%.
[3] Free cash flow is the net cash generated from operating activities minus the capital expenditures.
[4] Gearing ratio is calculated as net debts divided by the sum of total equity and net debt, then multiplying the result by 100%. Net debt is calculated as the amount of interest-bearing liabilities minus the amount of cash and cash equivalents.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
New Zealand’s Agriculture Minister Todd McClay and Ireland’s Minister of State Noel Grealish have signed a joint ministerial statement for advancing their partnership on agricultural climate research in Wellington today.
“New Zealand and Ireland will continue to advance vital research to support the development of tools to give farmers options to tackle agricultural greenhouse gas emissions without reducing production,” Minister McClay says.
It follows a successful Joint Research Initiative (JRI) pilot launched in 2022 with $34.5 million jointly invested to boost climate change research and science capability.
Minister of State Noel Grealish visited several of the 11 projects underway during his time in New Zealand and says they have helped accelerate understanding of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions.
“Agriculture is at the heart of the Irish and New Zealand economies, and we share the common goal of lowering emissions in pasture-based farming, while supporting farmers to produce more.
“During my visit to New Zealand, I was delighted to meet with Minister Todd McClay and agree to the second phase of the JRI that will drive meaningful reductions in agricultural greenhouse gas emissions.”
New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries and Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine will now identify further projects to progress.
Separately, Ministers also launched the new 2026-2030 Strategic Plan for the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (GRA).
It has four priorities: advance scientific research, strengthen capacity and knowledge sharing, build effective collaboration and partnerships, and leverage financial and other resources.
Note to editors:
The GRA aims to deepen and broaden research efforts in cropping, livestock, and paddy rice. It brings together researchers from around the globe to collaborate on science and breakthrough solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
As part of its Shared Value Creation (SVC) commitment, AEON Bank continues to drive its flagship community impact initiative, Salam Prihatin. Targeted Support and Value Added Impact This year, Salam Prihatin 4.0 engaged 100 households, amounting to more than 400 beneficiaries from the community Perumahan Pantai Permai, Kuala Lumpur. The engagement was held on 3 March 2026, in collaboration with AEON BiG Wangsa Maju and a local NGO, Pertubuhan Kebajikan Masyarakat Penyayang Lembah Pantai (PERKEMP) Lembah Pantai.
Fostering Financial Inclusion and Enabling Budget Savvy Autonomy Among the Beneficiaries
Fostering financial inclusion among the community, the beneficiary families were guided by AEON Bank team to plan for purposeful purchase of grocery and essential items, giving them the autonomy to optimise their budget, based on the needs of their respective families – be it multigenerational households, or families with small children or those caring for persons with disabilities (PWD).
Each beneficiary family received a RM300 grocery budget, which rounded up AEON Bank’s contribution this year to RM30,000 in total. In order to assist the families with their grocery shopping on the event day, more than 50 of AEON Bank employees, including the Bank’s senior leadership, were paired up with the families during the engagement. To date, AEON Bank has engaged almost 2,000 beneficiaries throughout 4 years, under its Salam Prihatin community impact initiative.
Now in its fourth year, AEON Bank has engaged almost 2,000 beneficiaries throughout 4 years, under its Salam Prihatin community impact initiative.
NIAT TO BE MORE RINGGIT SAVVY : SMART SAVINGS AND VALUE ADDED REWARDS
In the effort to help Malaysians manage the rising cost of living, AEON Bank has introduced several financial tools in its digital banking app and meaningful rewards for its customers, including :
(i) Neko Sensei : AEON Bank’s very own in-app financial coach designed to empower customers to track and manage their finances wisely.
(ii) RM30 Raya Cashback : Customers can earn RM30 cashback when paying with their AEON Bank Debit Card-i at stores participating in the MyDebit campaign, valid from 1 February to 15 April 2026.
(iii) Competitive Rate for Savings Pot : Enjoy a high 3.00% p.a. profit rate for the Savings Pot to help keep your financial goals on track, valid until 31 May 2026.
(iv) Personal Financing-i (PF-i) : Financing options from RM1,000 to RM100,000 with a profit rate starting at 3.88% p.a. and flexible tenures from 3 to 84 months. PF-i application process fully takes place online via the app, available to Malaysians with a minimum monthly gross income of RM2,500 including salaried employees, self-employed individuals, freelancers and gig economy workers.
(v) Neko Missions : A gamified digital banking experience that offers RM5 cashback for DuitNow QR transactions via AEON Bank app, valid until 15 May 2026.
(vi) JomPay : Customers can also make their JomPay transactions, including telco and utility bills via the AEON Bank app. providing a centralised platform for all essential online payments.
(vii) Inclusivity and Flexibility : Effective 17 March 2026, AEON Bank has removed the minimum balance requirement, ensuring Shariah-compliant digital banking is more inclusive and accessible for Malaysians.
NIAT TO FULFILL RELIGIOUS OBLIGATIONS : SAH AND SEAMLESS ZAKAT PAYMENT VIA AEON BANK APP Starting from the month of Ramadan this year, Zakat payment feature has been made available on the AEON Bank app. With just a few easy steps, customers can fulfill the contribution for 11 types of Zakat with a sah Aqad, including Zakat Fitrah, Zakat Pendapatan (Income), Zakat Perniagaan (Business), Zakat Emas (Gold) and more.
Made possible through the strategic partnership with Tulus Digital, the Zakat payment feature currently facilitates payments to Lembaga Zakat Selangor and PPZ-MAIWP, with more states and Zakat authority to be added in the near future.
NIAT TO BRING DIGITAL BANKING TO THE MASSES : O2O WONDERS
Beyond the digital screens, throughout four weeks of Ramadan, AEON Bank brought the O2O (online to offline) wonders to the crowd at the Bazaar Ramadan Seksyen 2 and 23, Shah Alam, in partnership with Persatuan Penjaja & Peniaga Kecil Melayu Negeri Selangor (PPPKMNS). On 16 March 2026, from 4.00 pm onwards, come on over to the Bazaar Ramadan Seksyen 23 and stand a chance to win AEON Bank merchandise and surprise goodies.
Better Banking – The Digital Way, Better Banking – The Shariah Way
As a cloud-native AI-powered digital bank, AEON Bank remains dedicated in its commitment to provide accessible financial solutions for Malaysians, while empowering communities to pursue their financial aspirations and achieve economic independence. Striving to foster a more inclusive financial future for all, AEON Bank will continue to offer a better banking experience for the larger demographic and contribute towards the development of Islamic banking in the region and the nation’s digital economy.
Click HERE to visit AEON Bank’s website and download the AEON Bank app. Don’t forget to view AEON Bank’s Ramadan Aidilfitri 2026 video, available on the Bank’s official YouTube channel.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
A quarter of the world’s population don’t have access to safe drinking water
Women and girls are especially impacted, with some walking up to 15 kilometres for water
World Vision aims to reach 30 million people with clean water by 2030.
This World Water Day, World Vision New Zealand is putting the spotlight on the global water crisis as a quarter of the world’s population still cannot access safe drinking water.
More than 2 billion people globally lack access to safe drinking water, with women and girls bearing the greatest burden. In some communities, women walk up to 15 kilometres a day to collect water — a task that can consume hours and limit their opportunities for education, work and participation in community life.
World Vision New Zealand International Partnerships Director Stephen Court says it is unacceptable that so many people are still denied access to such a basic human right.
“It’s unacceptable that in 2026 a quarter of the world’s population still doesn’t have access to safe drinking water. Clean water is a basic human right, yet millions of families are forced to live without it.
Without safe water, disease spreads, children miss school, and women are prevented from participating fully in work and community life. It traps families in a cycle of poverty that should no longer exist.”
New World Vision research in Guatemala, Honduras, Kenya, and Zimbabwe, finds that combining water access with behaviour change and economic empowerment activities can create lasting impact.
This family-centred approach integrates water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services with financial literacy training, savings groups, livelihood support, and engagement around social norms.
Court says when this approach is adopted women report higher personal income and household savings, greater participation in financial decisions, increased confidence, and stronger leadership within their communities.
He highlights the changes seen in Rumate, Kenya, where women once walked up to four hours a day to collect water, often returning with only a fraction of what their families needed.
After a borehole was installed in the community, women no longer had to spend hours collecting water and instead had time to pursue income-generating activities. Many formed savings groups, which enabled them to start small businesses and invest in their families.
“Access to safe water didn’t just meet a basic need — it unlocked opportunity,” says Court.
“When safe water is close to home, women gain something incredibly valuable: time. That time can be used to earn an income, participate in community life and invest in their families’ futures.”
The impact extends far beyond individual households.
“In many communities, the time women and girls spend collecting water goes unseen and undervalued. When safe water is accessible, women gain time, income opportunities and a stronger voice in their households and communities.
World Vision reaches one new person with clean water every 10 seconds, and we are aiming to reach 30 million people with clean water between 2023 and 2030.”
Court says this World Water Day, the message is clear: “Safe water is about far more than survival. It is the foundation for dignity, equality, and opportunity. When women gain access to clean water, they gain time, income, and influence — and entire communities thrive.”
Video from Rumate, Kenya: How women transformed their village - here
About World Vision World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organisation dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender.