Property experts say there are a few things that can happen to influence a property’s value – some within the owner’s control and some not.RNZ
House prices aren’t moving much in many parts of the country – but what could cause the value of your place to drop?
Property experts say there are a few things that can happen to influence a property’s value – some within the owner’s control and some not.
Messy neighbours
Property economist Ed McKnight said having neighbours who did not look after their house could be a problem.
“If your neighbour’s property looks like a mess – overgrown lawns, rubbish piling up, cars on the front lawn – that could make it harder to get a premium price for your property. It’s hard to quantify this in data.
“But buyers tend to pay premium prices for the dream home. If next door makes it seem more like a nightmare, then the price premium will fall.”
More neighbours
There has been a townhouse boom around parts of Auckland but work in neighbouring sections can make your house less valuable – at least in the short term.
McKnight said he visited a house in Ōrākei, Auckland, where the owner was grappling with this.
“Just as this owner was trying to sell, the neighbour was bulldozing their house and knocking up a five-storey apartment building. It was hard to get someone to pay a premium price for a property when there’s going to be noise and disturbance next door for the following three years.
“The tricky part is that most of this is outside your control. You can have the best-maintained property on the street, but if next door is a disaster, you’re wearing some of that cost.”
Property economist Ed McKnight.Supplied / Ed McKnight
Cotality chief property economist Kelvin Davidson said many people valued privacy and having sunlight.
“Putting townhouses up next door potentially reduces that. But I think it’s just the world we’re in at the moment, the government is pushing hard on intensification, infill housing.”
But Vanessa Williams, a spokesperson for Realestate.co.nz, said in an area with a lot of finished townhouses, having a place with a garden and garage could be worth more.
Flooding
Recent weather events have drawn more attention to potential flooding, and properties that could be in a flood zone.
Williams said it was something that many buyers should research before they bought a house. A property in a risky area could have a lower value. Some owners might not realise they were affected until they went to sell.
Power pylons
McKnight earlier said a house that was less than 250 metres from a power line could be worth up to 20 percent less than the same property not near the lines.
“The further away you are the less impact. Once you get over 250m away, there was no discernible difference.”
But he said if they were blocking an otherwise nice view, that could cut a property’s price by 27 percent.
McKnight said lamppost cell towers and simple monopole towers made no impact. But armed monopoles could add about a 10 percent discount for houses very close to them.
Flight paths
Davidson said anywhere that had planes flying closely overhead at regular intervals could face challenges.
But an Airways and Auckland Airport report in 2018 said a new flight path over parts of Auckland did not impact property prices, media reported at the time.
An earlier study in Brisbane said aircraft noise only had a minimal impact on property prices.
Davidson said homes next to correctional faciilties could also face a stigma.
A UK survey showed 36 percent of people would live by a prison but half would expect a discount in price of almost a third to do so.
Apartments near Auckland’s Mt Eden Correctional Facility are valued at about $860,000, a similar price to some a few streets away. But in areas where there is less employment, the arrival of a prison can mean more work.
Designed as the next milestone in Infinix’s flagship journey, the NOTE 60 SERIES elevates the brand’s signature NOTE line with a sharper focus on flagship-class performance, expressive design, and immersive everyday experiences that go beyond expectations.
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 18 February 2026 – At its annual flagship showcase, Infinix today unveiled the NOTE 60 SERIES, featuring the NOTE 60 Pro and NOTE 60—demonstrating a new chapter in delivering premium technology experiences to global users.
Infinix NOTE 60 Pro
Advancing design and performance within its class, the NOTE 60 Pro marks a significant milestone as Infinix’s first smartphone built on the Snapdragon® 7s Gen 4 Mobile Platform, delivering exceptional responsiveness and seamless multitasking that befits flagship-level performance.
It further elevates everyday experiences with an avant-garde Active Matrix Display that stays invisible when inactive, yet transforms into a dynamic interface for personalized interactivity, intelligent notifications, and on-screen entertainment—expanding what a smartphone can do in everyday life. Paired with a fluid 144Hz 1.5K Ultra HDR Cinematic Display and immersive SOUND BY JBL, the NOTE 60 Pro sets a new benchmark for premium multimedia experiences within its segment, proving that exceptional technology can be both powerful and pleasurable.
“NOTE 60 SERIES is our annual flagship showcase—an ‘all‑out’ blockbuster created with industry leaders,” said Tony Zhao, CEO of Infinix. “Embracing a whole-series 5G strategy, we are bringing together the best of performance, design, and entertainment—from our first NOTE powered by Snapdragon from Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., to premium design craftsmanship with Pininfarina, and immersive SOUND BY JBL. This ensures we deliver a pleasurable, fun experience that lets our global consumers actively enjoy the best modern technology.”
Performance Without Compromise with Snapdragon
The NOTE 60 Pro is powered by the Snapdragon® 7s Gen 4 Mobile Platform, delivering robust multitasking and exceptional gaming efficiency with up to 75%¹ faster CPU performance and 210%¹ improved GPU rendering compared to the NOTE 50 Pro. Infinix and Qualcomm Technologies have collaborated for the NOTE 60 Pro, integrating Infinix’s proprietary performance engine to fully harness the hardware’s capabilities. These optimizations deliver up to 25%¹ enhancement in multitasking performance, significantly faster app launch speeds, and a smoother, more stable experience when switching between apps during heavy use.
Powered by its strong Snapdragon chipset, the NOTE 60 Pro takes gaming performance even further, delivering smooth high‑frame‑rate gameplay across popular titles. Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and Honor of Kings run up to 120 FPS, ensuring ultra‑responsive, fluid action even during intense team battles. To maintain consistent performance, the NOTE 60 Pro also introduces an upgraded 3D IceCore Vapor Chamber cooling system featuring a 0.36 mm copper sheet that directs heat from the chipset to the vapor chamber, reducing temperature by up to 3 °C¹ during intense gaming for stable, sustained performance.
Active Matrix Display: Functionality Through Design
Featured on the back of the NOTE 60 Pro, the all-new Active Matrix Display represents a major design innovation for the NOTE SERIES.
This miniature, interactive LED interface stays invisible until activated, then instantly lights up to show smart notifications, animated pets, or mini-games. It enables at-a-glance information, versatile alerts, and moments of playful interaction. Users can personalize it with custom signatures, emojis, or dynamic patterns, giving users a creative outlet to express their personality and emotions, and turning the phone into a more emotionally connected personal companion.
Built around a robust one-piece frame of high-strength aluminum alloy with a refined micro-matte texture, the NOTE 60 Pro delivers a sophisticated, high-end feel while offering durable practicality and dependable IP64 protection² against dust, splashes, and everyday wear. Infinix NOTE 60 SERIES introduces multiple practical functions on the robust middle frame, including the new One‑Tap Button providing instant, customizable activation of Silent Mode or tools like the flashlight. It also features an industry-exclusive Advanced Health Monitor, providing proactive wellness tracking of key vitals like heart rate, blood oxygen, and long-term HRV to deliver actionable health insights.
Immersive Entertainment: A Stunning 1.5K Display Paired with SOUND BY JBL
The NOTE 60 Pro is engineered for an immersive, all-day comfortable audiovisual experience. It features a vivid 1.5K display with ultra-slim bezels, reaching 4500 nits peak brightness for visibility in any light and a 144Hz refresh rate for ultra-smooth visuals. The display is designed for extended viewing comfort, featuring motion sickness prevention technology, which helps users stay comfortable while reading, watching videos, or gaming when commuting or traveling. Last but not least, NOTE 60 Pro is protected by durable Corning® Gorilla® Glass 7i, and this visual excellence is complemented by a high-fidelity stereo sound system with SOUND BY JBL, to complete a truly compelling entertainment experience.
Capture Anything, Day or Night: The Pro-Grade Camera Setup
At the core of the Infinix NOTE 60 Pro’s imaging system is the exclusive 50MP OIS Night Master Camera, engineered to deliver crystal-clear photos and stable videos even in low light. Paired with a 112° ultrawide sensor, the system effortlessly captures everything from expansive landscapes to group portraits.
The device marks a major leap in imaging with Infinix’s first Ultra HDR pipeline, enabling full-chain HDR imaging, from capture and processing to display for brilliant, true-to-life photos. This high-end shooting mode preserves details in shadows and highlights that standard shots often miss, resulting in greater dynamic contrast range and rendering everything from daylight to neon with perfect clarity. Complementing this, the new Live Photo mode captures life as it happens and turns every photo into a vivid, pocket-sized memory.
Rounding out the professional imaging suite are intelligent features like 2x Lossless Portrait Zoom for studio-quality framing, 4K Ultra-Steady Video recording³ with creative filters, and the Infinix AI Studio for effortless, intelligent editing.
All-Day Power, Intelligent Care
The NOTE 60 Pro features a battery capacity up to 6500mAh⁴, a substantial 25%¹ increase over its predecessor. This provides ample power to support all-day browsing, messaging, and gameplay. To ensure power and performance are maintained in the long run, Infinix combines the increased energy density with an industry-first active healing system that automatically repairs internal battery materials in the long term, extending the battery longevity up to 200 cycles over time and ensuring at least 6 years of effective, hassle-free battery performance. The NOTE 60 Pro keeps you charged with 90W wired and 30W wireless⁵ charging. For the fastest wireless experience, an Infinix MagCharge phone case⁵ is included to guarantee perfect alignment. This gives you both the speed and the flexible convenience to power up seamlessly throughout your day.
Infinix NOTE 60: Flagship Implementation with Greater Accessibility
A design similar in high-end refinement to the NOTE 60 Pro’s graces Infinix NOTE 60, another 5G phone featuring a premium metal frame, a 1.5K Ultra HDR display at up to 144Hz, and exceptional battery capacity with advanced charging and longevity management. It’s built around the ultra-efficient MediaTek Dimensity 7400 Ultimate 5G mobile platform and delivers true 5G performance. The NOTE 60 sports many of the quality features common to the latest NOTE lineup, including Active Halo notification lighting, highly optimized system-level software, and the 3D IceCore Vapor Chamber cooling system. It retains the 50MP OIS Night Master Cam and Live Photo mode of NOTE 60 Pro, promising fun memory capture, editing, organization, and sharing with family, friends, and more.
Beyond “Pro”: Expanding the NOTE 60 SERIES
As a key step in its flagship journey, Infinix also previewed the NOTE 60 Ultra, marking a bold move into the premium segment. Designed by Pininfarina, the NOTE 60 Ultra introduces breakthroughs in form and delivers comprehensive upgrades in imaging, performance, and connectivity—representing the pinnacle of performance and experience within the NOTE 60 SERIES. More details about the NOTE 60 Ultra will be announced at a later date.
Demonstrating Infinix’s commitment to long‑term user support, the entire NOTE 60 SERIES comes equipped with the upgraded XOS 16, offering three generations of XOS platform upgrades and five years of security patches⁶. In addition, the whole series also supports eSIM connectivity⁷, providing users with greater flexibility and convenience in managing their mobile network experience.
Product availability
NOTE 60 Pro is available in five colors:* Mist Titanium, Solar Orange, Deep Ocean Blue, Mocha Brown, Frost Silver, Torino Black (Design by Pininfarina)*
It will be available in three variants:* 8GB + 128GB, 8GB + 256GB, 12GB + 256GB
NOTE 60 is available in five colors:* Mist Titanium, Rose Gold, Fizz Blue, Midnight Black, Mocha Brown
It will be available in two variants:* 8GB + 128GB, 8GB + 256GB
*Availability may vary by country/region. The Turino Black (Design by Pininfarina) will be released at a later date. Please consult local retailers and third-party shopping websites for more purchasing options.
*Available storage and RAM are less than the total memory due to storage of the operating system and software pre-installed on the device.
Price and availability vary between markets and sales channels. Please refer to the Infinix Official website for product availability and detailed regional sales information.
Disclaimer
Snapdragon is a trademark or registered trademark of Qualcomm Incorporated. Snapdragon is a product of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries.
¹All data comes from Infinix laboratories. The testing data may vary slightly between different test versions and testing environments.
²The phone is dustproof and splash-proof under normal use. Under controlled laboratory conditions, its performance can reach IP64 level under IEC 60529 standard. Differences exist between real-life scenarios. Any damage caused to the phone by immersion in liquid is not covered under the warranty.
³Record at up to 4K 30 fps, with ultra-steady stabilization and a wide range of creative filters.
⁴Battery capacity and configurations may vary by market.
⁵MagCharge requires using the Infinix-branded magnetic attachment phone case.
⁶The specific XOS upgrade plan for each model will be announced separately. Please note that availability of this upgrade may be limited in certain countries.
⁷eSIM availability is carrier and region-dependent; it may not be supported in all countries.
Hashtag: #Infinix
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Artist’s visualisation of a second Mt Victoria Tunnel in Wellington.NZTA / Waka Kotahi
The Transport Minister says holding off on a second Mount Victoria tunnel is something under consideration, if congestion charging shows it is not needed.
But the Finance Minister insists the project is “all go,” with work already underway.
A second tunnel through Mount Victoria was a key 2023 campaign promise from National, and the project made its way into the Roads of National Significance programme.
A second Terrace Tunnel has also been proposed, reserved solely for southbound traffic, while the existing three-lane tunnel would become a dedicated route for northbound traffic only.
The New Zealand Transport Agency estimated the costs of the new tunnels, along with removing parking on Vivian Street, would cost between $2.9 billion and $3.8 billion.
Transport Minister Chris Bishop says a question on whether the Mount Victoria tunnels would be tolled was “complicated” by potential time-of-use pricing.RNZ/Mark Papalii
The National Infrastructure Plan, released on Tuesday, said time of use charging for congested urban networks would encourage people to travel during less congested times or take public transport.
This, the plan said, would reduce delays and improve network performance, but also “defer the need for expensive capacity expansions”.
The government has legislated to implement time-of-use charging, establishing a framework to allow councils to set up a congestion charging scheme.
The plan said New Zealand ranked fourth to last in the OECD for asset management, or the practice of looking after existing infrastructure.
The commission said better understanding of existing assets would help avoiding diverting maintenance spending into new capital investment, to the cost of future generations.
“Reform is needed to better align transport investment with what users can fund, supported by clearer and
more independent oversight to ensure spending is focused on maintaining existing networks and delivering new projects only where they respond to demand and provide clear value for money.”
Transport Minister Chris Bishop said a question on whether the Mount Victoria tunnels would be tolled was “complicated” by potential time-of-use pricing.
“Which is why I’m not getting ahead of any of that. There’s a variety of quite complicated issues around tolling and time-of-use pricing in both Auckland and Wellington, which we’re working our way through, and any decision on that is a long time away.”
Finance Minister Nicola Willis says the tunnel has not been cancelled.RNZ / Mark Papalii
Asked whether time of use charging should be used first before committing funds to two tunnels, Bishop said it was an option under consideration and he would have more to say soon.
“I’m not cancelling the tunnel, but we are giving active consideration to what time-of-use pricing might do to our transport projects. You have to factor these things in, because thay are a mechanism for demand management and making more efficient use of our infrastructure, which is exactly what the commission says.”
Finance Minister Nicola Willis said the tunnel had not been cancelled.
“Mount Vic Tunnel is all go. And in fact, work is already underway on that project, which is to say there’s around I think $150 million of geotechnical work underway already, which has involved drills and spades in the ground.”
Willis was more ambiguous when asked whether the second Terrace Tunnel “all go” as well, referring questions back to Bishop.
She said the point the Infrastructure Commission was making was that when deciding how to prioritise, sequence, fund, and finance projects, one of the things to consider was the role of different financing tools like petrol taxes, tolls, and congestion charging.
Wellington mayor Andrew Little said the Mount Victoria tunnel was always the government’s project, so it decides what happens.
“From Wellington’s point of view, what matters most is we have good infrastructure that means people can move around and across the city,” he said.
“What we need most of all is certainty about what the government is doing so that the council and residents can plan with confidence.”
Police have recovered a cache of weaponry as part of an ongoing investigation into a family harm event.
Counties Manukau West Police responded to Māngere address on Sunday afternoon.
“A disagreement between family members occurred, when a firearm was allegedly presented by one member,” Area Response Manager, Senior Sergeant Steve Albrey says.
“The man left the address in a vehicle along with an associate, and Police were contacted.”
Police responded to the area, locating this vehicle leaving a Kirkbride Road address.
“An armed traffic stop was carried out and the driver was taken into custody,” Senior Sergeant Albrey says.
“Police have returned to the Kirkbride Road property and made an armed approach to the address and invoked a search at the property.”
Inside, Police seized a range of firearms and ammunition.
“This included a pistol, revolver, pump-action shotgun and two rifles.”
Senior Sergeant Albrey says a cross bow and an imitation pistol were also recovered.
Meanwhile, units also stopped a second vehicle in connection with the family harm incident, taking that driver into custody as well.
“Our enquiries are continuing, and we expect charges will be laid,” he says.
“It’s a good outcome for the Māngere community that these firearms are now out of circulation.”
Invercargill man Kevin Belling, 62, was last seen at his Motu Rimu farm on Friday 9 January.Supplied / NZ Police
Effluent ponds and other waterways on the farm of a missing Southland man are now being searched by the police.
Kevin Belling, 62, was last seen at his Motu Rimu farm on Friday 9 January and was reported missing on 18 January.
Search and Rescue teams have been scouring the Caesar Road property in Kapuka.
People living nearby are asked to check their properties for any sign of him.
Anyone with information that may help the police locate Kevin Belling is asked to call 105 and use reference number 260118/6964, or information can be reported anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
Animal control officers visited the property where Mihiata Te Rore was mauled to death four times, including the day before the attack.
Te Rore, 62, was visiting a person she knew at a property in the small Northland town of Kaihu when she was attacked and killed on Tuesday.
Police say the three dogs involved lived at the property.
Te Rore is the third person to be killed by dogs in Northland in the past four years, sparking calls for more to be done by local and central government to deal with the growing problem.
Police have been at the taped-off home where Te Rore died on Tuesday.
In a statement, Kaipara District Council said there had been four complaints about the dogs in November, December and this week, and had responded to each request on the same day.
“Staff visited the property on multiple occasions to attempt to speak to the owner, including reaching out to family and iwi liaison. When the dogs were seen they were on the property.
“In December staff managed to speak with the owner about compliance and keeping the dogs secure, including consequences if this did not occur. In February they visited the property twice, including the day before, but were unable to talk to the owner or uplift the dogs.”
The council said there had also been “multiple” proactive patrols in the area, looking for any loose dogs, including a door knock of every property along Kaihu Wood Road (no loose dogs were sighted during these patrols).
“Dog owners are responsible for their dogs – they have a legal responsibility to look after and control their animals but we also acknowledge that council’s animal control plays an important role in managing risks in the community. Our staff work with dog owners across the district every single day and are devastated that any such incident, in this case on private property, has occurred in Kaipara.
“We have a very small but extremely passionate team covering the whole of the district, and in their role they deal with a wide range of owners and dogs daily, often in complex and challenging situations.”
It said its animal management team was investigating the incident.
“The three dogs were secured after the event and have been impounded, and will be destroyed as soon as police have finished their investigation.”
‘All four have pack attacked my dog’
A local – who RNZ has agreed not to name – said authorities were warned in the past year about issues with the dogs.
He has had his own experience with the four dogs he says live at the property.
“They’ve actually come onto my property and attacked my dog,” he said.
“They pack attacked him, all four have pack attacked my dog, and that was just over six months ago.”
Like many in the community, he was frightened.
“It is quite stressful because you don’t even know if you’re going to get attacked and for me, I’ve got to go out my drive to get to my letterbox, and you don’t know whether the dogs are around the corner,” the man said.
“It’s really quite frightening.”
The man said Tuesday’s attack should never have happened.
“There were so many warnings before that happened and nothing had been done,” he said.
“I can’t believe that people are ringing dog control and yet nothing had been done.”
Statistics from the Kaipara District Council showed the number of dogs impounded by the council more than doubled over the four years from 2021 to 2025.
In the period from July 2022 to July 2025, there were 174 call-outs for dog attacks, but only one person was prosecuted in the same period.
RNZ asked the council to comment on these figures, but have not received a response.
The Kaipara District Council promoted cycle trails in the Kaihu area where Te Rore was killed.
Three years ago, Mike Wespel-Rose was biking on a track from Dargaville to Russell with his wife, when the pair were chased by dogs from a nearby property north of Whangārei.
“They were chasing us, and chasing us, it went on for quite a few minutes.”
“They jumped up on my wife’s bike […] we didn’t dare stop because God knows what we might’ve faced, so we just rode like crazy, very fearful about what might happen,” he said.
Wespel-Rose said the dog issue in the north is a symptom of wider problems with crime and poverty.
“It needs more resourcing doesn’t it, so that it can be dealt with more fully,” he said.
“It’s a tough one.”
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon described Te Rore’s death as unacceptable, and said the council needed to act.
“I would expect that within seven days that the Kiapara District Council is taking action and going after the dogs, and packs of dogs that are out there,” he said.
“Just imagine being a mum with a young baby, or young toddlers, and the anxiety that that causes.”
Push to reform laws ignored
However, Auckland Council’s Animal Management said its push for the government to reform dog control laws over the past year had fallen on deaf ears.
Elly Waitoa from the council’s animal management department said she was shocked that as recently as Tuesday morning, the government had told them they were not considering changes to the dog control act.
Meanwhile, police have said they want to hear from anyone in the Kaihu community who has had issues with dogs roaming in the area.
Detective Senior Sergeant Shane Pilmer said the dogs involved were now with Animal Management.
“This was a very upsetting and tragic event in which a woman has suffered unsurvivable injuries,” he said.
“I know the community will have a lot of questions; our investigation is still in the early stages and our focus is on establishing all the facts in this case.”
‘It’s almost become normalised’
Liz Woodward, a trustee of the Best Dog Trust – which provides free desexing for dogs in Kaipara, Whangarei and Wellsford – told Checkpoint the number of animals was overwhelming.
“We’ve had a dog applied for desexing just yesterday, she had 11 puppies. That’s really common, just the sheer number of dogs and lack of affordability of vet care, and also people being able to get to vets,” she said.
“For Kaihu residents it’s 90 kilometres to get a vet in Whangarei for desexing, so it’s no easy undertaking.”
She said the price was also prohibitive.
“It ranges from about $350 for a vet in Whangarei that’s low cost, the vets we deal with in Kaipara and Wellsford are more expensive,” she explained.
“We recently desexed a 56 kilo dangerous female, and she would have cost the owner over $1200.”
Woodward said aggressive behaviour from pet dogs had become normalised in Northland.
“Probably in most communities in Northland there’s an understanding within your community that there are certain dogs on certain streets or in certain areas that you just don’t get too close to,” she said.
“It’s really disheartening to hear of tourists on our cycle trails, trying to enjoy our beautiful countryside, being chased by dogs. It’s almost become normalised up here.”
“I can’t even begin to explain how big the dog issue is for Northland.”
An offender left himself seeing red, after a dangerous dash through red lights foiled his getaway from a burglary.
The man came to Police attention in Newmarket just after 10am on Tuesday.
“A camera operator based in Newmarket observed a ute running through several red lights and travelling on the wrong side of the road, into oncoming traffic on Broadway,” Sergeant Lindsey Dawson, from Newmarket Police says.
“This information was relayed to Police, with the ute eventually being located parked up, hidden at the rear of a motel on Owens Road in Epsom.”
A male matching the description of the driver was seen exiting one of the units and was quickly taken into custody.
“Our staff were quickly putting the dots together, as the ute matched the description of a vehicle seen casing out several Newmarket businesses earlier in the morning,” Sergeant Dawson says.
Police soon established that a burglary occurred at a Newmarket restaurant off Khyber Pass Road just prior to 10am, where a safe was taken from the premises.
After being spoken to, the man led Police to the location where the safe had been stashed, cash still inside, Sergeant Dawson says.
It’s left the 53-year-old man facing charges of burglary and dangerous driving in the Auckland District Court today.
Sergeant Dawson says Police will oppose the man’s bail.
“It’s a fantastic result, thanks to the watchful eye of the Newmarket camera operator in collaboration with Police, along with good old Police work in locating the ute, which means we’ve been able to hold the man accountable for poor driving behaviour and a burglary.”
NZ First leader singled out a Green MP for his Rarotongan heritage, which Labour leader Chris Hipkins says was “pure racism”.RNZ
Winston Peters has been accused of “pure racism” in Parliament by Labour leader Chris Hipkins, who has called out National ministers for failing to combat or challenge it.
The Greens say Peters is scapegoating migrants, while ACT’s David Seymour – his own Cabinet colleague – says Peters is simply seeking attention.
The condemnation came following Parliament’s Question Time on Wednesday when the NZ First leader singled out a Green MP for his Rarotongan heritage.
Green MP Teanau Tuiono had used the word “Aotearoa” to refer to New Zealand while asking questions about climate aid in the Pacific.
It prompted Peters to interrupt: “Why is [the minister] answering a question from someone who comes from Rarotonga to a country called New Zealand -“
Speaker Gerry Brownlee cut him off to object to noise from other MPs in the debating chamber.
Hipkins then leapt to his feet: “Members in this House are equal. For a member of the House to stand up and question whether someone is entitled to ask a question because of their country of origin is pure racism, and you should’ve stopped him in the beginning.”
Brownlee said he did not hear Peters’ remark, but would review the transcription later.
Peters then completed his question, asking why somebody from Rarotonga had decided “without any consultation with the New Zealand people” to change the country’s name.
In response, Brownlee said that was “not an acceptable question at all”.
“I want that to be the last time that those sort of questions are directed so personally at members of this House,” Brownlee said.
Tuiono has both Māori and Cook Islands Māori heritage but was born in New Zealand.
Hipkins calls out ‘ugly side’ to politics
In a speech to Parliament shortly later, Hipkins decried an “ugly side to New Zealand politics”, calling out “outright race-baiting” and “direct racism” being expressed in the debating chamber.
“Attacks on our Chinese and Asian communities in New Zealand, attacks on our Indian communities in New Zealand, and just today, attacks on whether those who have Pasifika heritage are entitled to ask questions in this house.
“And what have we heard from the government side on those attacks? Absolutely nothing.”
Hipkins said National ministers needed to “combat and challenge that racism” during this year’s election campaign, saying it was “totally unacceptable” for them to “say nothing and do nothing”.
“They are quite happy to stand by while members of their own government attack our Chinese community, our Indian community, our Pasifika community, migrants to New Zealand who work damn hard and contribute to New Zealand, and it’s an absolute disgrace.”
Hipkins said government ministers should celebrate diversity and not cast aspersions on it.
Speaking to reporters later, Hipkins said Peters’ behaviour “had no place in government and Parliament” – but he still would not say whether Labour would be prepared to work with NZ First after the election.
“I’m going make judgements about those things closer to the election, but I’ll call out bad behaviour when I see it.”
Greens call Peters ‘Temu Trump’, Peters says he doesn’t care
Addressing reporters outside Parliament, Tuiono said Peters was using “culture wars” to distract from the real harm he was causing New Zealanders.
“Just like Trump, he’s not very good with geography,” he said. “He just needs to get an atlas. A bilingual one preferably.”
His Green colleague Ricardo Menéndez March said Prime Minister Christopher Luxon had failed to show leadership by allowing Peters – “a Temu Trump” – to spread anti-migrant sentiment.
“It’s migrant scapegoating… it’s emboldens people outside of these four walls who wish to cause harm on our migrant communities,” Menéndez March said.
Speaking afterwards, ACT leader and Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour said he would never make such comments but would leave others to judge them for themselves.
“Do I like those comments? No. Would I make those comments? No. But I think if we all go on a 2019-style witch-hunt, we’re actually just fuelling it,” he said.
“If we all get ourselves in a lather, giving them the attention that they want, then that’s just as bad.”
In response, Peters told reporters Hipkins was talking “utter nonsense” and he did not care about Seymour’s views.
“How can somebody from another country who’s come to New Zealand decide to change my country’s name?” Peters said.
When told that Tuiono was actually born in New Zealand, Peters said, regardless, the Green MP claimed to be a “Cook Islander”.
“I would never go to the Cook Islands and start changing their name, would I?”
Peters said he was regularly being “literally mobbed” by New Zealanders on matters like the use of the word Aotearoa.
“I’m not indulging fools here. Let me tell you something: stand back and watch the polls go.”
NZ First leader singled out a Green MP for his Rarotongan heritage, which Labour leader Chris Hipkins says was “pure racism”.RNZ
Winston Peters has been accused of “pure racism” in Parliament by Labour leader Chris Hipkins, who has called out National ministers for failing to combat or challenge it.
The Greens say Peters is scapegoating migrants, while ACT’s David Seymour – his own Cabinet colleague – says Peters is simply seeking attention.
The condemnation came following Parliament’s Question Time on Wednesday when the NZ First leader singled out a Green MP for his Rarotongan heritage.
Green MP Teanau Tuiono had used the word “Aotearoa” to refer to New Zealand while asking questions about climate aid in the Pacific.
It prompted Peters to interrupt: “Why is [the minister] answering a question from someone who comes from Rarotonga to a country called New Zealand -“
Speaker Gerry Brownlee cut him off to object to noise from other MPs in the debating chamber.
Hipkins then leapt to his feet: “Members in this House are equal. For a member of the House to stand up and question whether someone is entitled to ask a question because of their country of origin is pure racism, and you should’ve stopped him in the beginning.”
Brownlee said he did not hear Peters’ remark, but would review the transcription later.
Peters then completed his question, asking why somebody from Rarotonga had decided “without any consultation with the New Zealand people” to change the country’s name.
In response, Brownlee said that was “not an acceptable question at all”.
“I want that to be the last time that those sort of questions are directed so personally at members of this House,” Brownlee said.
Tuiono has both Māori and Cook Islands Māori heritage but was born in New Zealand.
Hipkins calls out ‘ugly side’ to politics
In a speech to Parliament shortly later, Hipkins decried an “ugly side to New Zealand politics”, calling out “outright race-baiting” and “direct racism” being expressed in the debating chamber.
“Attacks on our Chinese and Asian communities in New Zealand, attacks on our Indian communities in New Zealand, and just today, attacks on whether those who have Pasifika heritage are entitled to ask questions in this house.
“And what have we heard from the government side on those attacks? Absolutely nothing.”
Hipkins said National ministers needed to “combat and challenge that racism” during this year’s election campaign, saying it was “totally unacceptable” for them to “say nothing and do nothing”.
“They are quite happy to stand by while members of their own government attack our Chinese community, our Indian community, our Pasifika community, migrants to New Zealand who work damn hard and contribute to New Zealand, and it’s an absolute disgrace.”
Hipkins said government ministers should celebrate diversity and not cast aspersions on it.
Speaking to reporters later, Hipkins said Peters’ behaviour “had no place in government and Parliament” – but he still would not say whether Labour would be prepared to work with NZ First after the election.
“I’m going make judgements about those things closer to the election, but I’ll call out bad behaviour when I see it.”
Greens call Peters ‘Temu Trump’, Peters says he doesn’t care
Addressing reporters outside Parliament, Tuiono said Peters was using “culture wars” to distract from the real harm he was causing New Zealanders.
“Just like Trump, he’s not very good with geography,” he said. “He just needs to get an atlas. A bilingual one preferably.”
His Green colleague Ricardo Menéndez March said Prime Minister Christopher Luxon had failed to show leadership by allowing Peters – “a Temu Trump” – to spread anti-migrant sentiment.
“It’s migrant scapegoating… it’s emboldens people outside of these four walls who wish to cause harm on our migrant communities,” Menéndez March said.
Speaking afterwards, ACT leader and Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour said he would never make such comments but would leave others to judge them for themselves.
“Do I like those comments? No. Would I make those comments? No. But I think if we all go on a 2019-style witch-hunt, we’re actually just fuelling it,” he said.
“If we all get ourselves in a lather, giving them the attention that they want, then that’s just as bad.”
In response, Peters told reporters Hipkins was talking “utter nonsense” and he did not care about Seymour’s views.
“How can somebody from another country who’s come to New Zealand decide to change my country’s name?” Peters said.
When told that Tuiono was actually born in New Zealand, Peters said, regardless, the Green MP claimed to be a “Cook Islander”.
“I would never go to the Cook Islands and start changing their name, would I?”
Peters said he was regularly being “literally mobbed” by New Zealanders on matters like the use of the word Aotearoa.
“I’m not indulging fools here. Let me tell you something: stand back and watch the polls go.”
Auckland competes in a highly dynamic global market for tourists and major events. The City Rail Link (CRL) is tipped to give the city a new edge in both arenas.
Annie Dundas, Director Destination for Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, says greater ease of access enabled by the CRL will support the agency’s aims.
“CRL will help elevate all our goals. We work hard to secure a strong pipeline of major and business events. In the last financial year, the events we supported in Auckland delivered more than $89 million in GDP – they are crucial for our success as a region and a country,” she says.
We sat down with Annie Dundas and asked her more about how she thinks the City Rail Link will enhance Auckland’s tourism and events sectors when the new rail system opens in the second half of 2026.
This is part of an occasional Q&A series with urban and economic development leads within the Auckland Council group, looking ahead at the region-wide benefits of the City Rail Link for multiple sectors.
Our Q&A with Annie Dundas:
Q. What is the role of Tātaki Auckland Unlimited?
We are Auckland Council’s cultural, events and destination agency. We attract visitors to the region, invest in major and business events and deliver cultural events such as Pasifika Festival and BNZ Auckland Lantern Festival.
We champion Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland’s global reputation and strive to make it a vibrant place to live and visit. We own and operate venues and cultural institutions including Auckland Zoo, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, Aotea Centre, New Zealand Maritime Museum Hui Te Ananui a Tangaroa, The Civic, Western Springs Stadium, North Harbour Stadium and Go Media Stadium.
We also attract performing arts to the city through New Zealand’s largest performing arts organisation Auckland Live, and put on free Auckland Council Events in public spaces for all to enjoy.
Q. How will the CRL help visitors to our region experience it better?
Getting people around more swiftly will be a game-changer. The CRL is not just about new stops in the city, it enables better train services across Auckland by linking up the network and unlocking space for more trains to travel more often. It will provide visitors an easier way to experience more of our region – if they’re in downtown Auckland or arriving on a cruise ship, they’ll be able to hit Karangahape Road or an event at Go Media Stadium much more easily. If they’re staying further away, they can get to the waterfront, which we know is a major drawcard for visitors, much more easily.
This ease of travel will be especially valuable for visitors here for business events. Usually they’ll stay longer than three or four days, and are likely to attend a conference at say, the new NZICC or Aotea Centre. The new Te Waihorotiu Station will be right on those venues’ doorsteps – this will make us an even more business event friendly city. There will be frequent services, meaning no long waits for the next train. It will be a true international experience. It positions our reputation very well internationally.
CRL stations and surrounding areas also incorporate beautiful Māori design – it’s important to represent our unique culture in this way and we know visitors value this.
Recently re-opened glasshouse entrance to Waitematā Station.
Q. How about locals – will it make coming into the city for events easier?
It will take away parking stress and cost for a much wider group of people and make it easier for them to get to events and shows. If you live in Maungawhau (Mt Eden) for example, you’ll be able to get to Waitematā Station in less than 10 minutes, then Spark Arena is right there. If you live in Henderson, you’ll be able to get to Te Waihorotiu Station in 35 minutes, 24 minutes quicker than the current public transport. That station is very close to The Civic, Basement Theatre, Q Theatre, Auckland Town Hall and Aotea Centre – so suddenly getting to that concert or a free festival in Aotea Square becomes a lot more attractive. From Glen Innes in the east, you’ll be able to get to Te Waihorotiu Station in 15 minutes, 10 minutes quicker. So we are really excited about the barriers it will reduce and cultural participation it will encourage for all Aucklanders.
Q. What about major events in Auckland with crowds of more than 10,000 people?
For major events coming up including the British & Irish Lions Women’s Series in 2027, Cricket World Cup in 2028, and men’s Lions tour in 2029, the CRL will be amazing. Fans flowing in and out of Eden Park will be able to hop down to Waitematā Station at the waterfront in just 13 minutes. That will make it easier to enjoy bars and restaurants before and after matches and give huge crowds multiple hospitality options. There will also be a single train ride from the east to Eden Park on the new network, which will make it easier for families in the eastern suburbs to go along.
At Go Media Stadium in Penrose where Ed Sheeran just performed, access will be easier with a single train ride from the west to the stadium on the new network.
We’ve just brought in a wayfinding map at Go Media Stadium that links through to public transport and gives information about the nearby Penrose train station that will connect to the new CRL stations. We’ll be able to integrate it with our existing tools and strategies to reduce barriers to attendance.
Q. What if people want to go out or stay out after work for a cocktail or to see a live band – will the CRL help?
Yes. Part of our work at Tātaki Auckland Unlimited is to encourage a humming night-time economy. More frequent trains until about midnight from Sunday to Thursday, and between 1am and 2am on Fridays and Saturdays, will make it easier to go out or stay out later for a larger group of people.
There will also be a single train ride from the south to the famous night-time precinct of Karangahape Road. No more switching between trains and buses on the way. Fewer people will need to bring a car into town just so they can stay out at night after work. So definitely – the CRL is an important piece of the puzzle to help us elevate Auckland nightlife.
Q. How important is transport connectivity for what Tātaki Auckland Unlimited is tasked with achieving?
Ease of access, which the CRL will improve, will help us achieve our goals. We work relentlessly to secure a strong pipeline of major and business events in a hugely competitive global market.
We also push hard to attract screen production and boost visitor numbers from key markets including Australia, North American and Asia and run world-class attractions including Auckland Art Gallery and Auckland Zoo – in all these areas, ease of access and movement is vital. Visitors know about our scenery – but we need to offer more.
Having a truly international city where it’s easy to get around is a crucial part of the ecosystem of drawcards we offer to make Tāmaki Makaurau an amazing place to live, work and visit.
Viaduct Harbour. Photo credit: AucklandNZ.
Read more about the benefits of CRL in earlier Q&A on OurAuckland.
Learn how the new network is expected to lift Auckland’s international standing with Barry Potter; support the region’s productivity with Gary Blick; and provide everyday benefits for Aucklanders and visitors across the region with George Weeks.
City Rail Link information brochures are available in eight languages on the Auckland Transport website.
NZTA has applied for statutory approvals for the Northwest Busway project under the Fast‑track Approvals Act (FTAA), marking a major milestone for a project that will deliver faster, more frequent and more reliable public transport for Auckland’s growing northwest, says Transport Minister Chris Bishop.
“The project, similar to the successful Northern Busway, will provide a busway alongside State Highway 16 (SH16) between Brigham Creek and the city centre, and seven stations connected to the local bus and road network,” says Mr Bishop.
“People in the northwest are crying out for better transport options in one of the region’s largest planned growth areas, where an additional 100,000 people, along with 40,000 new homes and 40,000 new jobs, are expected by 2051.
“Lodging under the FTAA represents progress for the Northwest Busway, which is going to provide more transport choices for communities in the northwest. This is about building the future of public transport in New Zealand. Auckland is our largest city, and this will help support jobs and drive growth.
“The Northwest Busway includes a park and ride station at Brigham Creek and stations at Westgate, Royal Road, Lincoln Road, Te Atatū, Point Chevalier and Western Springs. It will be able to move up to 9,000 passengers per hour in each direction, the equivalent of four motorway lanes. It will also provide a reliable 25-minute journey time from Brigham Creek to the city centre – all day, every day.
“Construction is already underway on the new Westgate Station, which will open later this year, and works on the Brigham Creek Station are expected to start next year.
“The busway will increase the capacity of State Highway 16 by nearly 20% during peak times by freeing up space on the motorway for freight and those that need it.
“Aucklanders want better, faster and more reliable public transport and this project is a priority for this Government, so I welcome the progress being made by NZTA with the lodgement of statutory approvals for the project under the FTAA.
“The approvals will enable NZTA to construct the project in stages as further funding is made available.
“The Northwest Busway project has received around $550 million, covering statutory approvals, design and site investigations, construction of the Westgate Station and Brigham Creek Station and Park & Ride, and targeted property acquisition.
“The Northwest Busway project is part of an integrated plan to provide better connections to the wider transport network and maximise investment in other public transport projects like City Rail Link.”
Notes to the editor:
The northwest of Auckland is home to 90,000 people and is one of the city’s largest planned growth areas.
60 percent of residents commute out of the area for work and education, which means the Northwestern Motorway regularly suffers from congestion and delays.
This project covers an 18km corridor and navigates a heavily built-up urban environment. This means it requires underpasses and structures to navigate motorway interchanges, and it impacts some utility assets and property which also add to the cost.
The whole project has a benefit cost ratio of 2:1, with the first stage at 6.3:1 so for every dollar that’s spent we’re getting high benefits in return.
Stage 1 will see new stations at Brigham Creek and Lincoln Road as part of a $330m – $380m package of work.
Stage 2 will include the separated and bi-directional busway from Brigham Creek to Te Atatū, along with the stations at Royal Road and Te Atatū, the second stage of Westgate station, and the city centre connection at Newton at an estimated investment of $4,100m – $4,600m*.
The Point Chevalier and Western Springs stations are to be delivered as a third stage.
A first-of-its-kind health and rehabilitation centre has opened at Burnham Military Camp to support the health, wellbeing and operational readiness of New Zealand Defence Force personnel.
“Kiwis who put on the uniform put their lives on the line to defend and protect New Zealand and its people. They deserve the best support possible to proactively care for their minds and bodies, and to help them get back on their feet when they’re injured,” Associate Defence Minister Chris Penk says.
“The new Military Health and Performance Centre, Tû Manawa Ora, at Burnham Military Camp is the first combined health and rehabilitation facility across the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) estate, bringing together a broad range of services under one roof.”
The new facility includes:
Comprehensive medical treatment centre
Dental services
Physiotherapy, rehabilitation and performance spaces
Psychological resilience, pastoral care, social work and counselling services
Education, research, simulation and training facilities
Staff and logistics areas
Emergency response, including ambulance facilities
“Today’s opening represents a step forward in how the Defence Force looks after its people, setting a new standard for healthcare infrastructure across camps and bases,” Mr Penk says.
“Providing multi-disciplinary care will benefit both the prevention and treatment of health issues, ensuring Defence personnel are well supported during service and continue to thrive long after they leave the Force.
“Military healthcare professionals now also have a modern, fit-for-purpose environment that enables the delivery of high-quality health, rehabilitation and performance services, which in turn will improve retention and operational readiness across the Defence Force.
“Building the centre at Burnham, the largest military base in the South Island, reflects its strategic importance. The camp plays a key role in New Zealand’s national security system, supporting training, operational deployments, humanitarian assistance and disaster response.
“Completed in just 18 months, the $22 million project is a testament to the combined efforts of the Defence Estate and Infrastructure group, construction partner Hawkins New Zealand, and our Alliance partners Ernst & Young, GHD NZ and Beca.
“This new centre demonstrates to our Defence people that while they dedicate themselves to serving New Zealand, we are committed to ensuring they have the health, wellbeing and working environments they need to perform at their best.”
Shia LaBeouf was arrested just after midnight on Tuesday (local time) in New Orleans where police said the 39-year-old Transformers film star assaulted two men in a fight during Mardi Gras.
The actor has previously faced a series of arrests and legal issues, including pleading guilty to a charge of obstruction. Police said he was charged with two counts of simple battery.
Officers were called about 12.45am (local time) to a business on Royal Street where two men reported being assaulted.
A police statement said LaBeouf had been causing a disturbance and growing increasingly aggressive. When a staffer tried to remove him, LaBeouf allegedly struck the man several times with closed fists.
The victims told police LaBeouf left but soon returned and acted even more aggressive. Several people tried to restrain him and briefly let him up in hopes he would leave, but he allegedly hit the same staffer again, punching his upper body. Police said he then punched another man in the nose.
Bystanders held LaBeouf until officers arrived. He was taken to a hospital with unspecified injuries and released.
Police gave no additional details on what triggered the disturbance or the victims’ conditions.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
PSNA is calling for government accountability to stop and punish New Zealanders going to fight in Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza.
A UK report by Classified, from official Israeli sources, shows 39 dual New Zealand/Israeli citizens, and 11 others with more than one additional passport, are serving in the Israeli Defence Force, which is carrying out genocide in Gaza. (The full dataset is in Hebrew at the foot of the article at this link)
“The news that New Zealanders are participating in ongoing mass killing and starvation of Palestinians in Gaza is abhorrent,” says Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa Co-Chair Maher Nazzal. “Our government must do what it can to stop these New Zealanders perpetrating genocide.”
“Israel’s political and military leaders are charged with war crimes by the International Criminal Court. Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu, for example, is wanted for trial on war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
“As well as killing perhaps hundreds of thousands and wholesale starvation of Palestinians in Gaza, Israel is still systematically destroying all civilian infrastructure: schools, hospitals, churches and mosques, farmland and crops. Even New Zealanders’ graves in World War One cemeteries are not immune.”
“There’s no excuse for anyone fighting for a state committing genocide” says Nazzal. “Our government must step in and rigorously investigate the actions of each and every one of these 50 New Zealanders in the IDF.”
“New Zealand has obligations under the international Genocide Convention to do what it can stop a genocide. New Zealand charged Mark Tayor for membership of ISIS in 2004. There is ample precedent. The government must be consistent.”
“All of these New Zealanders serving in the IDF have various degrees of culpability in the genocide, certainly the moment they set foot in Gaza. But they would also be liable for actions at military facilities inside Israel, fuelling up bombers, for example, or calculating missile coordinates.”
“These soldiers must be identified, and their service in Israel’s army examined, alongside their social media accounts and those of the brigades and soldiers they joined.”
“The government must also collaborate with international agencies for evidence of how many of these people have already been identified for investigation of war crimes.”
“The Hind Rajab Foundation is working to identify specific Israeli war criminals for referral to the International Court of Justice,” says Nazzal.
New Zealand law does not specifically prohibit citizens from fighting overseas. But the government must act in this case, where New Zealand citizens are participating in a genocide, and also under our Fourth Geneva Convention obligations, where these New Zealand citizens are also enforcing an illegal occupation of Palestinian Territory.
“Despite the so-called October 2025 ceasefire, Israel has continued its daily killing of Palestinians, destruction of infrastructure and occupation creep. Israel still refuses to allow the agreed amount of food, water and humanitarian supplies to enter Gaza.”
“Here is a case of direct responsibility by New Zealand citizens, about which the government can’t wash its hands and ignore.”
18 February 2026 – Annual consumers price inflation was slightly above the Monetary Policy Committee’s 1 to 3 percent target band at the end of 2025. Increases in food and electricity prices and local council rates were the biggest contributors to above-target inflation.
The economy is at an early stage in its recovery. With ongoing strength in commodity prices, economic activity in the agricultural sector and regional New Zealand remains strong. Although residential and business investment is increasing, households remain cautious in their spending. The labour market is stabilising, but unemployment remains elevated. House price growth remains weak, dampening household wealth and inclination to spend.
In response to previous cuts in the OCR, economic growth is broadening across sectors of the economy, such as manufacturing, construction and some retail. Economic growth is expected to increase over 2026.
Inflation is most likely returning to within the Committee’s 1 to 3 percent target band in the current quarter. The Committee is confident that inflation will fall to the 2 percent midpoint over the next 12 months due to spare capacity in the economy, modest wage growth, and core inflation within the target band.
Risks to the inflation outlook are balanced. The global environment remains highly uncertain. Domestically, greater caution by households in their spending decisions could slow the pace of New Zealand’s economic recovery, risking inflation falling below the target midpoint. But with demand increasing in the economy, businesses could try to increase prices faster than expected, leaving inflation above the target midpoint.
The Committee agreed to hold the OCR at 2.25 percent. If the economy evolves as expected, monetary policy is likely to remain accommodative for some time. The Committee will continue to assess incoming data carefully. As the recovery strengthens and inflation falls sustainably towards the target midpoint, monetary policy settings will gradually normalise.
Source: Independent Children’s Monitor, and Children’s Commissioner and Ombudsman
Oversight agencies are calling on government agencies in the children’s system to act faster in the wake of a report published today which has found children are still no safer than when Malachi Subecz was killed by his carer in 2021.
Aroturuki Tamariki | Independent Children’s Monitor has released its second review of the implementation of the 2022 Poutasi Report recommendations,Towards a stronger safety net to prevent abuse of children, which examines the progress made by government and agencies on recommendations made by the late Dame Karen Poutasi aimed at improving the child protection system.
Aroturuki Tamariki | Independent Children’s Monitor Chief Executive Arran Jones says since Malachi’s death, another 24 children were killed by someone who was meant to be caring for them between December 2021 and June 2025.
“Many of these were babies, most were under the age of five. This is equivalent to a primary school classroom of 24 children, gone in just three and a half years.”
Our review has found the gaps identified by Dame Karen have not been closed, that Oranga Tamariki is still not always able to respond when it needs to keep a child safe, and children continue fall through the gaps and die.
Mr Jones released the review alongside the heads of the other two agencies responsible for oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, the Children’s Commissioner and the Ombudsman.
Mr Jones says successive reviews going back at least two decades have pointed to the gaps in the system. Dame Karen noted her 2022 report findings were not new, and just last week Coroner Anderson also pointed to the similar themes and recommendations being made year after year, often with little evidence of substantive change taking place.
“The Government’s decision in October last year to accept all of Dame Karen’s recommendations, was a good first step. While there are some promising pilots, we need to see continued priority given to making sustained change.”
“Crucially, this review found that even if the gaps in the safety net are closed, a fundamental problem remains. That is the ability of Oranga Tamariki to respond when it needs to. Social workers need to be able to get in the car and go and check children are safe. We continue to hear from frontline staff across government and community organisations that this is not always happening when it should,” Mr Jones said.
Children’s Commissioner Dr Claire Achmad says the findings of this new review highlight the need for urgent, sustained action to make real change for children’s safety, off the back of the Government’s acceptance last year of Dame Dr Poutasi’s recommendations.
“The stark truth that 24 children – most of them babies – have died through abuse by the person meant to be caring for them must shock us into action. The lives of other children depend on it. Children and young people who have talked to me following the launch of our Dear Children campaign have emphasised to me how urgent the focus on children’s safety must be.
“Changes in our systems and communities must be made now to keep all our children safe. Between Dame Karen’s recommendations and last week’s recommendations from Coroner Anderson, the pathway for change is clear. Our nation’s children require the children’s system, and all of us at the community level, to actively work together to prioritise them and their safety. Because the fact is, all forms of child abuse and neglect are 100% preventable, but it takes all of us working together to prioritise children at every level of our society.”
Chief Ombudsman John Allen says the findings raise the important need for cross-agency collaboration – for health, education, welfare and justice – to keep working together for a better care and protection system. This is the type of shift that Dame Poutasi was calling for.”
“There are some ‘green shoots’ out there such as the new in-person hub pilot at the Oranga Tamariki national contact centre. Hub staff are helping to identify and address needs of at risk children when their sole parent enters prison. I’m also encouraged by what is happening in Whakatane, where Oranga Tamariki is working closely with a community-based provider Te Pūkāea o te Waiora. Community led organisations know the whānau well and are better equipped to intervene early and provide immediate support while at the same time taking pressure off the wider system.”
The oversight of oranga tamariki system’s role is threefold, with a focus on the rights and wellbeing of children and young people known to Oranga Tamariki either through care and protection or youth justice.
Aroturuki Tamariki | Independent Children’s Monitor checks that organisations supporting and working with children and young people known to Oranga Tamariki are meeting their needs, delivering services effectively, improving outcomes and complying with the Oranga Tamariki Act and the associated regulations.
Mana Mokopuna – Children’s Commissioner is the independent advocate for the rights, best interests, wellbeing and outcomes of children and young people under the age of 25 who are or have been in the system, as well as being the independent advocate for all of New Zealand’s children.
The Ombudsman is the independent watchdog of Government, and receives complaints from children and young people (and their whānau and representatives) about decisions and actions affecting them in the system. The Ombudsman investigates concerns where needed.
Associate Health Minister David Seymour and Health Minister Simeon Brown welcome Pharmac’s proposal to fund two new combination therapies for people with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), a type of blood cancer.
“Improving access to cancer medication in New Zealand is important to cancer patients, and their families. That’s why it has been a focus of this Government,” Mr Seymour says.
Pharmac is proposing to fund venetoclax with ibrutinib, and venetoclax with obinutuzumab, as first line treatments from 1 May 2026.
“Pharmac heard from the Blood Cancer community and from clinical advisors that venetoclax with ibrutinib or obinutuzumab will make a big difference for people with CLL, especially when used at the beginning of treatment,” Mr Seymour says.
“While CLL isn’t curable, the right treatment means patients can live longer more fulfilling lives. Venetoclax with ibrutinib or obinutuzumab will help patients achieve longer lasting remission, and avoid the need for traditional chemotherapy. Two of these medicines will be available in pill form, which don’t require an IV drip and could mean fewer hospital visits
“Obinutuzumab will be the second cancer medicine available in private clinics. When Pharmac fund a new cancer treatment, people already paying for that treatment privately are forced to make a very difficult choice: spend their savings to continue private treatment undisrupted, or transfer to a public hospital. Patients told Pharmac the latter was hugely disruptive and caused significant stress during an immensely difficult period.
“People currently paying privately for these combinations could receive funded treatment in a private hospital, provided they met the funding criteria at the time they began treatment.”
Mr Brown says the Government is committed to improving treatment and care for New Zealanders with cancer, including blood cancer.
“That’s why this Government has funded seven new cancer medicines that target blood cancer through Pharmac’s $604 million investment – expanding treatment options for patients and their families.
“This announcement means more Kiwis with blood cancer will have access to medicines that improve their quality of life and help them live longer, fuller lives.
“We are also significantly expanding stem cell transplant services for patients with blood cancers and related conditions, helping more people access critical, life-saving treatment sooner.
“Alongside investment in new medicines, our Faster Cancer Treatment target, and wider efforts to strengthen cancer services, we are focused on improving access, reducing delays, and ensuring people get the treatment they need, when they need it.”
Two new medicines for people with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia could be on the way, with Pharmac proposing to fund venetoclax with ibrutinib or with obinutuzumab.
If accepted, the combination therapies could be available as first line treatments from 1 May 2026.
Associate Health Minister David Seymour said CLL was not curable, but the right treatment meant patients could live longer.
They would help patients achieve longer lasting remission and avoid the need for traditional chemotherapy, Seymour said.
Associate Health Minister David Seymour said the right treatment for people with CCL could help patients live longer.RNZ / Mark Papalii
He said Pharmac heard from the blood cancer community these combination therapies would make a big difference for people with CLL, “especially when used at the beginning of treatment”.
It comes after public backlash following Budget 2024 failing to include promised funding for more cancer drugs, forcing the government to subsequently announce an extra $604 million for Pharmac over four years.
Since then, the government has funded seven blood cancer drugs, but in September 2025 some blood cancer patients were still saying the government was breaking its promise on life-saving drugs.
Blood Cancer New Zealand said at the time only 180 patients benefited from that uplift, less than 1 percent of all New Zealanders with a blood cancer.
On Wednesday, Seymour said people currently paying privately for these combinations could receive funded treatment in a private hospital, provided they meet the funding criteria at the time they began treatment.
“These combination medicines will be the second and third cancer medicines available in private clinics.
“When Pharmac fund a new cancer treatment, people already paying for that treatment privately are forced to make a very difficult choice: spend their savings to continue private treatment undisrupted, or transfer to a public hospital,” Seymour said.
He explained that patients had told Pharmac it was hugely disruptive and caused “significant stress during an immensely difficult period”.
Health Minister Simeon Brown said the government was committed to improving treatment and care for New Zealanders with cancer, including blood cancer.
“This announcement means more Kiwis with blood cancer will have access to medicines that improve their quality of life and help them live longer, fuller lives.
“We are also significantly expanding stem cell transplant services for patients with blood cancers and related conditions, helping more people access critical, life-saving treatment sooner.”
Consultation opens on Wednesday, and closes Wednesday 4 March. If approved, funding would begin from 1 May 2026.
Some of us remember having more energy in our 20s. We could work late, sleep badly, have a night out, recover quickly and still feel capable the next day. By our 40s, that ease has often gone. Fatigue feels harder to shake. It’s tempting to assume this is simply the ageing process – a one‑way decline.
The truth is that the 40s are often the most exhausting decade, not because we are old, but because several small biological changes converge at exactly the same time that life’s demands often peak. Crucially, and optimistically, there is no reason to assume that energy must continue to decline in the same way into our 60s.
Midlife is often a time of maximum cognitive load.
If you spend any time in the wellness corners of TikTok or Instagram, you’ll see claims women need one to two hours more sleep than men. What does the evidence say?