MIL-OSI Export

Source: New Zealand Government

Check against delivery

Kia ora, and thank you so much for inviting me here today. It is great to be with you all.

Can I start by thanking Fran O’Sullivan for her hard work in organising and supporting this annual event, and also NZME and the NZ Herald for sponsoring the event as always.

I would also like to acknowledge our Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson, Councillor Richard Hills, and Councillor Andy Baker.

I also wish to acknowledge the opposition spokesperson for Auckland and Shanan Halbert. Lovely to see you here today.

And I want to acknowledge everyone in this room for the role you play in leading our great city. We are proud to be Aucklanders. We are proud of all this city has to offer, and we are all committed to making it a better place. That shared commitment mirrors our Government’s focus on fixing the basics and building the future of Auckland.

Conflict in Iran

Before I speak about the Government’s priorities, I want to acknowledge the global context we are all operating in. Everything has changed in the past four weeks with the conflict in Iran.

The Strait of Hormuz, the narrow stretch of water between Iran and Oman, carries around 20 percent of the world’s daily oil supply, and the conflict in Iran is leading to significant disruption in global oil markets. Kiwis are feeling that right now at the pump.

Our Government is responding quickly and decisively with two key priorities. First, ensuring New Zealand has continued access to fuel supplies. Second, providing targeted support to those who need it most.

As Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed, we continue to have a stable fuel supply, with combined jet, petrol and diesel stocks equating to around 48.6 days of cover nationwide, meaning there is no need for immediate concern. But we are taking every action we can to shore up our position.

We have aligned our fuel standards with Australia to ensure we have access to more markets to purchase fuel products from. We are working with Australia and other nations to secure the supplies we need. And the Minister of Finance has today announced our Fuel Response Plan, which sets out clearly how we will act if we begin to face disruption in our supply chains.

There are four phases to this plan, of which we have already announced phases one and two in detail. For phases three and four, we will consult closely with industry and sector groups, as these phases would require additional restrictions. As the Minister of Finance has made clear, though, success means not having to move to phases three or four. Our focus remains on our priority: ensuring a secure fuel supply for New Zealanders.

Alongside this, we have announced targeted support for working families. We cannot control global oil markets or international conflicts, but we can soften the impact on working families who cannot easily avoid higher fuel costs. From 7 April, around 143,000 working families with children will receive an extra fifty dollars a week through a boost to the in-work tax credit. That targeted increase will be temporary, lasting for one year or until the price of 91 octane petrol drops below three dollars a litre for four consecutive weeks.

That is what responsible, temporary and targeted relief looks like.

Improvements in Auckland under National

Turning now to Auckland. While what is happening internationally will continue to occupy our attention, today is also an opportunity to take stock of the real progress this city has made over the past two years.

When National came into office, Auckland had been through an extraordinarily difficult stretch. The COVID-19 lockdowns had closed this city repeatedly, as the Royal Commission found, and we now know they went longer than the public health advice supported. The economic toll of those decisions fell hardest here. Businesses that had fought to survive were then hit by inflation peaking at over seven percent, mortgage repayments that had doubled for some families, and a cost-of-living squeeze felt right across the city. And if that was not enough, there were the ram raids. Retailers were boarding up their shopfronts, and a city that had, for a time, lost its footing.

That was the Auckland we inherited. And it is why the work of the past two years has been so focused on getting back to basics: restoring economic stability, restoring law and order, and restoring confidence in our public services.

And we have delivered:

We abolished the 11.5 cents per litre Auckland Regional Fuel Tax, putting money back in the pockets of Auckland households and businesses.
Our water reforms are saving Aucklanders hundreds of dollars on their water bills.
We have made meaningful Auckland governance changes to restore democratic decision-making.
We are progressing time-of-use schemes to improve flow across our motorways.
We’re negotiating a regional deal that gives Auckland a genuine partnership with central government.

The results speak for themselves. The NZIER Business Confidence survey shows the strongest equal result since 1994. The Consumer Sentiment Index has risen to 107, reflecting more optimism than pessimism for the first time in several years. Building activity is up, with a 13 percent increase in new dwellings consented in the year to January. Interest rates have come down meaningfully, which is real relief for homeowners and businesses alike. And the International Convention Centre is now open, already hosting 120 events over the year and generating international visitor spend that flows through the whole Auckland economy.

These are not small things. They are the product of a clear plan focused on fixing the basics and building the future.

Opportunities We Must Seize

With that foundation in place, the question now is: what do we do with it? Because Auckland’s best days are not behind us, they are ahead of us, and there are real opportunities in front of us that we must seize together.

The City Rail Link will open this year. It is the largest infrastructure project in New Zealand’s history, started under a National Government and delivered by a National Government. When it opens, it will transform how people move around Auckland, cut travel times, and unlock development opportunities along the rail corridor. But we need to make sure we capture the full benefit. That means using the planning tools available to us to ensure housing growth happens around the stations, with density in the right places and of the right kind. A rail network only delivers its full potential when the city grows intelligently around it, and we are working to make sure our planning settings support exactly that.

On transport more broadly, the CRL is just the beginning. We are progressing the next generation of projects that will define Auckland’s connectivity for decades to come: Mill Road, Northwestern Rapid Transit, and completing the Eastern Busway. 

On safety, the progress in our city centre has been real and measurable. Through our Housing First initiative, 188 people have been placed into housing by March, up from just 33 when the plan was announced in November. Crime victimisations have fallen from 1,010 in January 2024 to 638 in December 2025. A new Police Station in the CBD and officers increasingly on the beat are making a tangible difference. New move-on powers for Police will give them an important additional tool to address the antisocial behaviour that drives people away from our city centre. Our approach balances support with accountability: helping those who need housing and mental health services, while taking firm action against behaviour that makes people feel unsafe.

On health, waiting times skyrocketed following Labour’s decisions to remove the previous National Government’s health targets, and Health New Zealand was left managing $28 billion on a single Excel spreadsheet following the decisions to restructure our healthcare system in the middle of a pandemic. National has brought back the health targets, and we are seeing encouraging improvements across the board, with Kiwis spending less time in emergency departments, more children being fully immunised by the age of 24 months, and waitlists for elective surgeries and first specialist assessments coming down. 

There is still more work to do, however, our focus on fixing the basics is delivering results.

As part of this continued focus, today I am pleased to announce that Health New Zealand is issuing a Request for Proposal to identified landowners for land in Drury, to support the development of a future South Auckland hospital. This is the next concrete step towards a major new hospital health precinct for one of the fastest-growing parts of this country, and it is a step that has been a long time coming. South Auckland carries some of the highest health burdens in New Zealand, with elevated rates of infectious disease, diabetes, cardiovascular and chronic respiratory conditions, and a population projected to grow by hundreds of thousands by 2050. Drury is the right location. It sits alongside our Roads of Regional Significance and planned public transport infrastructure, meaning patients, staff and visitors can actually get there. Securing the right site now means Health New Zealand can plan with confidence, and future investment goes to the right place, at the right scale.

Conclusion

When I look at the full picture, Auckland has real momentum behind it. Inflation is down. Interest rates are down. Business confidence is up. Crime is down. We are delivering in health and in education. The Convention Centre is open and the City Rail Link is coming. These are the results of a clear plan that is working, and we need to stick to it.

We also need to work in genuine partnership with Auckland Council to deliver on these objectives. We have devolved decision-making to the Council in a number of areas, and that makes sense. But this is not an Auckland versus Wellington thing. The majority of Cabinet Ministers come from Auckland. We live here, we shop here, we sit in the same traffic as everyone else in this room. Ministers are constantly engaging with the Mayor and the Council. We are not here to serve Auckland Council. We are here to deliver for Aucklanders.

Yes, we are living in challenging times. The conflict in Iran is a reminder that we cannot always control what arrives on our doorstep. But what we can control is how prepared we are, how resilient we are, and how well we have set Auckland up to seize the opportunities ahead of it.

Auckland’s best days lie ahead of us. The plan is working. Let’s continue to fix the basics and build the future.

Thank you very much.

MIL OSI

Source: Media Outreach

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 28 March 2026 – In 2025, Meitu, Inc. (Meitu) adhered to its “Productivity and Globalisation” strategy, with total revenues from continuing operations surging 28.8% YoY to RMB 3.86 billion. The company’s core business – Photo, Video and Design Products – generated RMB 2.95 billion in revenue, a robust 41.6% YoY increase, accounting for 76.6% of total revenues. Non-IFRS Adjusted Net Profit – a key indicator of core operational performance – soared 64.7% YoY to RMB 965 million. The revenue and profit growth were primarily driven by the rapid adoption of AI Agents integrated into its product portfolio, leading to a significant surge in global paying subscribers.

As of December 31, 2025, total paying subscribers reached an all-time high of 16.91 million, a substantial 34.1% YoY increase, with a subscription rate of 6.1%, up 1.4 percentage points from 2024.

AI Agent-Integrated Products Gain Explosive Popularity, Driving Strong Penetration and Monetization Growth

Following the July launch of RoboNeo (Meitu’s flagship AI visual design agent), Meitu integrated AI Agent capabilities across most of its product portfolio to enhance workflow automation and user experience.

As such, Meitu’s productivity tools segment achieved an all-time high 9% subscription rate, up 3.1 percentage points YoY. Paying subscribers of this segment grew to 2.16 million, representing a significant 67.4% YoY growth, with international paying subscribers more than doubling.

The segment comprises three core tools: DesignKit specializing in AI workflows for e-commerce design,Kaipai and Vmake specializing in AI workflows for video production.

Backed by AI Agent empowerment, in 2025, DesignKit established strategic partnerships with leading global e-commerce platforms including Alibaba, JD.com, and Amazon. Kaipai focuses on verticals including healthcare, education, beauty, insurance, and real estate, empowering industry users to create professional talking videos. In 2025, Kaipai’s MAU nearly doubled, and paying subscribers tripled. Vmake targets fitness and wellness markets, achieving rapid MAU growth in the U.S., with Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) reaching approximately USD 3 million.

Meitu’s leisure product segment including the Meitu app, BeautyCam and Wink maintained robust user engagement. The paying subscribers for the leisure segment grew 30.3% YoY to 14.75 million, driving the segment’s subscription rate to a solid 5.9%.

Globalisation Milestones: Expanding Footprint in High-ARPU Regions

Meitu’s Globalisation strategy achieved significant progress, with MAU in markets outside Mainland China surpassing the 100 million milestone, a 6.3% YoY increase. International paying subscriber growth accelerated in the second half of 2025, with the majority of new additions coming from high-ARPU regions including Europe, the Americas and East Asia, enhancing the sustainability of international monetization.

AI Technology Advancement & Industry Recognition

Following the training of its self-developed large vision model’s foundational capabilities in 2024, the company has since shifted its R&D priorities towards vertical-specific model training and application-level optimization to better address targeted user needs, consistent with its model-agnostic strategy. In 2025, the company’s total R&D expenses grew moderately by 3.8% YoY.

Meanwhile, on Andreessen Horowitz (a16z)’s “Global Top 50 Gen AI Mobile Apps” list, Meitu ranked first in the photo, video and design category by the number of featured products, with four apps selected. This external recognition reinforces Meitu’s position as a leading global AI application company in imaging, video and design.

Fueled by sustained R&D investment, Meitu is systematically deploying AI Agents into scalable productivity workflows. Going forward,Meitu will continue expanding diverse imaging skills to empower global developers and users with professional-grade AI creation experiences.

Hashtag: #Meitu

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-NZ-AU)

IBG Acquires 51% stake in BlockFuel Energy as business combination nears completion

Once complete, the combined entity will become a rising oil producer and power generation company with near-term production and scalable growth strategy

SYDNEY, March 25, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Innovation Beverage Group Ltd (“IBG” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: IBG), an innovative developer, manufacturer, and marketer of a growing beverage portfolio of 60 formulations across 13 alcoholic and non-alcoholic brands, today announced that it has acquired a controlling interest in BlockFuel Energy Inc. (“BFE”), a Texas-based energy corporation. This transaction represents a significant milestone towards the proposed merger between both companies, which they anticipate closing in the coming weeks.

On March 16, 2026, IBG entered into a Share Exchange Agreement with certain shareholders of BFE pursuant to which IBG acquired 127,628 shares of BFE common stock, representing approximately 51% of BFE’s outstanding equity. As consideration for those shares, IBG issued warrants to purchase an aggregate of 3,815,766 ordinary shares of IBG at an exercise price of $0.0001 per share, which are not exercisable until shareholder approval and approval by The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC are obtained. The warrant shares represent 45.9% of the issued and outstanding shares of IBG and will represent 51% of the Merger Consideration payable at the time of the closing of the merger. Upon the consummation of the proposed merger between IBG and BFE, the warrants will be automatically adjusted to an aggregate of 20,643,297 ordinary shares of IBG and will be deemed exercised.

As part of the transaction, IBG also provided BFE with a $2.5 million unsecured loan, which facilitated the repurchase and cancellation of certain outstanding BFE shares. Following the closing of the previously announced merger, this loan will convert into an intercompany balance within the combined organization, further consolidating IBG’s ownership position.

Concurrently, IBG, BFE, and IBG’s wholly owned subsidiary, InnoBev Merger Corp., entered into an Amended and Restated Agreement and Plan of Merger. Upon completion of the proposed merger, BFE will become a wholly owned subsidiary of IBG and BFE equity holders are expected to own approximately 90% of the combined company, with IBG’s existing shareholders owning approximately 10%, subject to customary adjustments and dilution.

Strategic Transformation Nearing Completion

The transaction represents a strategic expansion of IBG into the energy and high-powered computing sectors. BFE focuses on the acquisition and development of oil and gas assets and the conversion of underutilized natural gas into electricity to power high-performance computing operations. BFE operates primarily in the United States, including Oklahoma, and is developing a vertically integrated platform combining energy production, power generation, and data centers.

Upon completion of the merger, the combined company is expected to operate under the BlockFuel Energy name, with IBG’s existing beverage business transitioning into an Australian-based subsidiary led by IBG’s CEO Sahil Beri as President. The new parent company will focus on scaling its U.S. onshore oil and gas operations.

“Completing the acquisition of a controlling interest in BlockFuel Energy advances our strategic transition and brings the merger closer to completion,” said Sahil Beri, Chief Executive Officer of Innovation Beverage Group. “We are positioning IBG for long-term growth by focusing on energy assets with strong fundamentals and near-term production potential, while maintaining our beverage business as a distinct subsidiary.”

“This transaction marks a significant step in building a scalable, U.S.-focused energy platform,” said Daniel Lanskey, Chief Executive Officer of BlockFuel Energy. “With a strengthened capital structure and aligned ownership, we are focused on advancing production and expanding our asset base as we begin operations.”

Building a Scalable U.S. Energy Platform

BlockFuel Energy is focused on the acquisition, development, and operation of oil and gas assets, with current operations primarily located in the United States, including acreage positions in Oklahoma.

The transaction provides IBG with immediate exposure to producing and development-stage energy assets, positioning the Company to pursue near-term revenue generation and long-term asset growth.

Based on preliminary engineering and comparable field deployments, BFE management believes onsite gas-to-power costs could be meaningfully below grid-based power pricing, while avoiding transportation, processing, and third-party power costs.

The acquisition was completed in connection with an amended and restated merger agreement between IBG and BFE. The closing of the full merger remains subject to customary conditions, including regulatory approvals and approval by The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC.

About Innovation Beverage Group Ltd

Innovation Beverage Group is a developer, manufacturer, marketer, exporter, and retailer of a growing beverage portfolio of 60 formulations across 13 alcoholic and non-alcoholic brands for which it owns exclusive manufacturing rights. Focused on premium and super premium brands and market categories where it can disrupt age old brands, IBG’s brands include Australian Bitters, BITTERTALES, Drummerboy Spirits, Twisted Shaker, and more. IBG’s most successful brand to date is Australian Bitters, which is a well-established and favored bitters brand in Australia. Established in 2018, IBG’s headquarters, manufacturing and flavor innovation center are located in Sydney, Australia with a U.S. sales office located in California. For more information visit: https://www.innovationbev.com/.

About BlockFuel Energy

BlockFuel Energy is involved in the acquisition, exploration and development of proven oil fields onshore in North America. BlockFuel Energy combines state-of-the-art power generation with oil and gas exploration to power high-performance data centers. Our vertically integrated concept allows us to use co-location and modular power generation techniques to optimize efficiency and investment returns. Our cutting-edge solutions for energy optimization and extraction will enable us to transform underdeveloped resources into high-margin, scalable, and sustainable revenue streams. For more information visit: https://blockfuelenergy.com/.

Forward Looking Statement

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the proposed merger between IBG and BlockFuel Energy, anticipated operational milestones, expected production levels, anticipated oil and gas sales, planned financing activities, expected economic benefits of such activities, and the proposed acquisition of additional oil field assets.

Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “projects,” “intends,” “believes,” “may,” “will,” “could,” “should,” or similar expressions. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. These risks include, among others, the ability of the parties to execute definitive transaction documents, satisfy closing conditions, obtain regulatory and stockholder approvals, commodity price volatility, operational risks, financing risks, , and other risks described in IBG’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Neither IBG nor BFE undertakes any obligation to update such statements except as required by law.

Contact:

Innovation Beverage Group Limited
Sahil Beri
CEO
sahil@innovationbev.com
www.innovationbev.com

BlockFuel Energy Inc.
Daniel Lanskey
President and CEO
dan.lanskey@blockfuelenergy.com
www.blockfuelenergy.com

Investor Relations:

KCSA Strategic Communications
Phil Carlson, Managing Director
BlockFuel@KCSA.com

– Published by The MIL Network

Source: New Zealand Government

A Stats NZ programme to move more business surveys online is helping reduce the burden on businesses, Statistics Minister Dr Shane Reti and Small Business and Manufacturing Minister Chris Penk say.

Stats NZ will begin moving more than 60 business survey forms to an online tool from August, following a successful shift of the Quarterly Building Activity Survey. 

“This is a milestone in improving and modernising the technology used to collect vital information from and about New Zealand businesses. Many of these surveys use older, less efficient digital tools or are paper-based,” Dr Reti says. 

“Businesses have asked the Government to reduce the burden on them and we’re delivering. They can expect a smoother, faster way to provide their data and a more standardised experience with the new tool. Other benefits include the ability to save progress and resume filling out survey forms later.

“In reducing the burden on businesses and making it easier for them to complete surveys, the Government is fixing the basics and building the future, allowing businesses to focus more on what matters most to them.”

Small Business and Manufacturing Minister Chris Penk says digitising government surveys is particularly beneficial for firms with fewer than 20 employees, which make up 97 percent of all New Zealand enterprises.

“Small businesses often have fewer dedicated admin staff, and sometimes none at all, so every hour spent on paperwork is an hour away from serving customers and focusing on the work needed to grow the business.

“Moving surveys online makes it faster and more straightforward to share their valuable experiences and perspectives quickly and conveniently, without adding to their workload or disrupting their day-to-day operations. 

“It’s a simple change that reduces friction, improves response rates, and ensures policy is shaped by timely, real-world insights from the small business community,” Mr Penk says.

The programme will begin with forms for priority economic surveys, including the Labour Cost Index and Business Price Index, which are scheduled to move online in August 2026. 

MIL OSI

Source: Radio New Zealand

The minister responsible for fuel security says he has received proposals from import terminals to open up more diesel capacity, but any recommission of tanks would be a while off.

Associate Energy Minister Shane Jones said almost half of Marsden Point’s available storage was being used, and there had been a proposal to refurbish unused and empty tanks to boost diesel storage.

The tanks had been empty since the closure of the refinery in 2022, with Marsden Point now operating solely as an import and storage terminal for refined oil.

Jones said he had spoken to Rob Buchanan, the chief executive of Channel Infrastructure, which owned and operated Marsden Point.

“He said that there could be two tanks that could be repurposed, and he has sent through a proposal to us. However, because of the degradation since the closure of the refinery, it will take time,” Jones said.

“They have put forward a proposal to work, as I understand, with the Crown, to refurbish some storage tanks. Then the officials are working through, ‘do they think it’s a sensible thing to do and what it’s likely to cost the Crown and Channel if we were to work together?’”

He expected to receive that advice from officials “sooner, rather than later”.

Jones had also spoken to the chief executive of the Port of Taranaki, who had told him there could be up to three days of storage there.

“But two thirds of the potential storage is owned by Methanex, so I’m in no hurry to chase Methanex out of New Zealand,” Jones said, adding Taranaki would also need some new infrastructure.

“I think Marsden Point are confident, if they can get some regulatory relief. Taranaki said they have to build a new bund, because the regulations have changed. So look, I think that if we’re going to do this, we need to strip away the regulations without creating a public nuisance, and also arrive at a point where we can, if not share the costs, work out how soon it can be done.”

Combined, Jones estimated it would add “several days” to diesel storage capacity, with costs going towards the refurbishment and then purchasing the diesel.

Those costs, Jones expected, would be shared between the Crown and Channel.

A spokesperson for Channel Infrastructure said Channel was aware of Jones’ comments, but it did not comment on discussions with any of its customers.

“Channel has identified some very preliminary options for significantly increasing diesel storage capacity at Marsden Point,” the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said Channel had almost 300 million litres of fuel storage in service at Marsden Point, and an additional 350 million litres of tanks that “could be converted” to provide additional fuel storage if required.

“The government’s Fuel Security Study concluded that the best way to improve New Zealand’s resilience was to increase the in-country storage of fuels that are critical to keeping our economy moving, and Channel stands ready to put all efforts into safely assisting with additional fuel resiliency measures, should we be asked to provide them.”

Fuel importers were required by law to hold 28 days’ worth of petrol, 24 days of jet fuel, and 21 days of diesel.

From 2028, the minimum requirement for diesel would increase to 28 days, if the fuel importer had more than 10 percent of the market share.

In 2024, the government stopped work on procuring 70 million litres of reserve diesel stock, saying it carried significant capital cost and Cabinet would need a robust understanding of options and their impacts before making decisions.

The fuel would have been funded through the Petroleum or Engine Fuels Monitoring Levy.

Instead, the government decided to explore other options to increase the diesel reserves from 21 days to 28 by 2028, and commissioned the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment to study New Zealand’s fuel security requirements.

Under questioning from Labour’s energy spokesperson Megan Woods in the House on Tuesday, Jones said there was “no budget, no proposal that I could credibly take forward to my colleagues” on the reserve diesel stock.

New Zealand First has continued to blame Labour for the closure of the refinery in 2022, and has been attempting to tie the “degradation” of the storage capacity to the closure.

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters went as far as to suggest the refinery was “deliberately shut down, with the government’s connivance”.

In 2021, Labour had the option of providing a loan or subsidy to keep the refinery open, but then-minister Woods said there was not a strong case.

“There does not appear to be a clear case for maintaining refinery operations for fuel resilience reasons, except to address an exceptional ‘no fuel imports’ scenario,” she wrote in a 2021 Cabinet paper.

“This is an unlikely scenario, but not entirely implausible, therefore I believe the option of maintaining refinery capacity warrants an active decision by government.”

In the House, Jones accused Woods of making an “active decision” to close the refinery.

“If you close down 700 million litres of storage, 70 million is a mere drop,” he said.

Labour has repeatedly said the closure was a business decision made by its private owners, not a government decision.

“At most, you’d be talking about five days of unprocessed crude oil, in addition to whatever we have in terms of processed fuel onshore. Five days in the grand scheme of what we’re dealing with at the moment isn’t very much,” said Labour leader Chris Hipkins.

“There are certainly other things the government could have done over the last two years to increase our resilience. Marsden Point would be right at the bottom of that list.”

During Question Time, Peters asked the prime minister if all the “anxiety” around supplementary reserves would be relevant if “they hadn’t shut down Marsden Point?”

“It was a critical piece of national infrastructure and that was a decision of a previous government,” Christopher Luxon responded.

Luxon was then made to withdraw the comment, after Hipkins raised a point of order to argue the previous government had made no such decision.

On Tuesday, Woods told RNZ she was supportive of proposals for more storage space.

“Absolutely, and I would hope the government’s looking at that right now,” she said.

But she accused the government of being “short sighted” for scrapping the 70 million litre strategic reserve plans, which were to be a “worst case scenario” to ensure critical services like fire engines, ambulances, and food distribution could keep running.

That would have been in place this year, Woods said, whereas the government’s increased requirement for 28 days of diesel holdings would not come into place until 2028.

“One of the reasons the government scrapped that strategic reserve and got rid of the request for proposals that was out there, they said it was cost. It’s several million dollars to build that facility, in terms of being able to hold it, but there was up to $100 million of built-up levy sitting in the Petrol Levy fund, essentially that had built up over Covid that we were proposing to use for that,” she said.

“Instead, the government has gone for an option where the fuel companies themselves will hold this additional diesel, which will cost motorists more for diesel at the pump, and it will be two years’ delay.”

ACT leader David Seymour has previously disagreed with Jones on the economics of keeping the Marsden Point refinery open.

But he saw the merits on using more of its storage capacity.

“The reality is it would probably be a levy on the fuels themselves. But if that was to be proposed, I think we would look at it very carefully on the costs and benefits. I think the world just changed, and we can see that having some more independence is probably not a bad bit of room to have.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Commerce Commission has performed a U-turn on banks’ bid to collectively negotiate cash-in-transit services with Armourguard.

The Commission initially declined an interim bid by the Banking Association to negotiate on behalf of banks and some retailers, saying it was not satisfied the benefits would outweigh the negatives.

But in a draft determination announced on Thursday, the regulator proposed to authorise the application.

“We consider small benefits would likely arise from the proposed collective bargaining, such as operational efficiencies and more efficient contract terms,” Commission chair Dr John Small said.

He said the Commission’s view has “developed” since declining the bid for interim authorisation.

“While we do not currently consider these to be substantial benefits, we believe they are positive on balance.”

Small said at the time there were concerns around an approval leading to uncertainty and Armourguard pushing back investment plans.

“However, with further assessment and evidence we now consider these detriments to be unlikely.”

The Commission is seeking submissions from interested parties by 10 April.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

The local government minister has called Wellington’s mayor for an explanation of the huge water bills that residents are facing – and are forecast to hit almost $7000 a year by the end of the decade.

Wellington’s new water entity Tiaki Wai is a council-controlled organisation taking over Wellington, Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt and Porirua City Councils water assets from July.

It announced this morning that residents will face an average nearly 15 percent hike in water charges this coming financial year – from $2100 to $2400.

Those bills may rise by nearly a quarter the following year – and keep increasing – to reach an estimated $6800 per year for water services by 2036 as the water entity tries to fix old, failing infrastructure.

Local government minister Simon Watts said those costs were higher than he was expecting.

“I’m concerned for Wellington ratepayers again, you know we’ve got a long string of issues in this area.”

Watts said the plan that Tiaki Wai presented to the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) and the water regulator last year did not forecast such high costs.

He said he phoned Wellington’s Mayor Andrew Little about this today.

“I outlined to him that we received a plan from you which outlined a profile of cost increases, and as a result the entity has now published a price which is not in the plan, which is much higher, I need to understand, and have an explanation around that.”

A Tiaki Wai spokesperson said the Water Services Delivery plan it presented in August last year was based on the best available information at the time, and the organisation will continue to review its costs as investment plans develop.

Little said Tiaki Wai was responsible for what it sent to DIA last year, and he did not control or veto the organisation’s decisions under the new system.

He said he shared the minister’s concerns about bills, but the government campaigned on this model under its Local Water Done Well policy.

He said he will be scrutinising Tiaki Wai’s performance and pricing closely.

“If the increases follow the path that Tiaki Wai are saying, then people are going to expect high quality, that leaks are repaired quickly, also that they can contact their water company, at any time of the day.”

He wanted the Commerce Commission to be granted the power to intervene if water entity’s bills became unreasonable.

Watts did not confirm if the Commerce Commission would have the power to step in over sky-rocketing bills, but said he had called in the commission in this instance to work with Tiaki Wai and the councils over the projected prices.

Porirua Mayor Anita Baker said bills reaching nearly $7000 a year in a decade were horrendous, and could drive people away from the region.

“At those sort of prices, who’s going to be living here? I can’t pay $6000 in water, and $6000 in rates… we have to do something.”

She said while she supported the establishment of the water entity, and understood the scale of the work at hand, water charges still needed to be affordable.

Wellingtonians divided over jump in bills

Some Wellingtonians RNZ spoke to were worried about the charges due to cost of living pressures, while others said the region’s assets had to be fixed.

Dale said she did not look forward to the future knowing those charges lay ahead.

“That sounds pretty crap. I’m 28, so the way it will be, by the time I am 38, that doesn’t sound like I’ll be living a great life.”

But another resident Daniel Freese said the city had ignored failing assets for too long.

“I think it has to happen, I think we’re paying for under-investment over many years, and although it’s not good news, we just need to suck it up and pay for it.

“If we don’t pay now, we’re going have to pay later, and it’s going to be more.”

Resident Tom Arkell said he was keen to see water meters brought in for the city.

“I’d like to think we could bring in some pay-per-use water monitors, that we can actually incentivise people to use less water, and to track, and therefore they could pay within what they’re comfortable, rather than getting a fixed bill no matter how much water you use.”

Tiaki Wai is considering water meters, and the organisation expects they will take up to seven years to roll out across Wellington, and cost $590 million in total.

Peet yesterday told reporters the dire state of the region’s infrastructure could no longer be ignored after decades of under-investment.

“We know we’ve got a lot of leaks, we know we’ve got compliance issues with wastewater, and we all know that stormwater continues to be a significant challenge for many cities – but Wellington in particular.”

Peet said fixing the failed Moa Point plant – which has been spewing raw sewage into the sea for nearly six weeks – will be a top priority.

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MIL OSI

MIL OSI

Source: Radio New Zealand

Accounting software company Xero and artificial intelligence firm Anthropic have announced a multi-year deal to add AI tools to the accounting softward giant’s tools.

Under the deal, Xero will integrate Anthropic’s Claude AI system directly into its platform – and allow Xero customers to use their financial data inside Claude’s interface.

The companies say the aim is to give small businesses and their accountants real-time financial insights they can act on immediately.

Xero chief product and technology officer Diya Jolly said small business owners routinely grappled with questions about tight cashflow and overdue invoices, and the integration with Anthropic was designed to help answer those in seconds.

“To run their business efficiently, small business owners and their accountants and bookkeepers need to be able to answer these questions and act on them in real time, whether using Xero or Claude,” she said.

Xero said the AI tools would reduce the time businesses spend chasing invoices, manually compiling reports, or trying to forecast cashflow, with Claude proactively surfacing insights and recommended actions.

The company also emphasised that the partnership fits within its responsible data-use commitments – with financial information shared between platforms used only for a customer’s session and not used to train Claude’s AI models.

Jolly said integrating Claude moves Xero further into “agentic workflows”, with its AI assistant JAX (Just Ask Xero) helping predict cashflow gaps and carry out more complex financial tasks on behalf of users.

Anthropic managing director for international Chris Ciauri said the tools would give small businesses access to the kind of financial intelligence that previously would have required a dedicated analyst or chief financial officer.

“Instead of spending hours making sense of their financials on top of everything else it takes to run a business, customers get clear answers and recommended actions in real time,” he said.

Xero and Anthropic expect to roll out the new Claude features in the coming months.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The Immigration (Enhanced Risk Management) Amendment Bill has been debated in Parliament for the first time. The government bill, which would amend the Immigration Act, is being shepherded by National MP and Minister of Immigration, Erica Stanford.

The bill describes itself as aimed at better meeting the Immigration Act’s purpose of balancing “the national interest… and the rights of individuals”.

Amendments proposed in the bill would touch on both sides of that equation, with new tools to both deport immigrants and to protect them.

The bill’s main provisions are outlined below, followed by political responses.

The bill: Deportations

The deportation aspect of the bill strengthens the “deportation liability settings” for immigrants on resident visas. It also makes “deportation liability a more likely outcome for lower-level criminal offending”. (All quotes in this section are from the bill’s own Explanatory Note.)

After being granted a resident visa, a migrant remains liable to be deported for subsequent criminal offending. The period of continuing liability varies depending on the severity of the offence. Those liability periods (since receiving a visa) are lengthening.

For offences subject to imprisonment of at least three months, the period of liability lengthens from two to five years. For offences punishable by two-plus years imprisonment, the liability period changes from five years to 10. For offences culpable for five-plus years, the liability period changes from 10years to 15; and for offending punishable by at least 10 years’ prison, it changes from 10 years to 20.

The liability period resets if a migrant with a resident visa is absent from New Zealand for five years.

Criminal conviction outside New Zealand prior to a visa being granted always makes a visa-holder liable for deportation.

Other deportation liability changes aim to fill gaps in current legislation. The bill would clarify “the range of false and misleading submissions that can make a person liable for deportation; and that historic crimes that were committed outside New Zealand can give rise to deportation liability; and how administrative errors can give rise to deportation liability.”

Misleading and false information will also include omission of information that was potentially prejudicial.

More data sharing between government agencies would be allowed, to check things such as applicant’s claims, identity and character; or to check eligibility for funded services or benefits.

Anybody committing a criminal act while in New Zealand on a visitor or temporary visa, as well as those illegally in the country, would be unable to appeal a deportation order on humanitarian grounds.

Victims of serious offenders who are undergoing deportation proceedings would have “the right to be heard during their offender’s deportation proceedings, whether or not the offence against them is the basis of the offender’s liability for deportation.”

The bill: Migrant exploitation offences

The bill also includes changes to offences and penalties related to migrant exploitation. There are three particular changes.

The bill “extends the maximum prison sentence for migrant exploitation offending from seven to ten years”. (All quotes in this section are from the bill’s own Explanatory Note.)

It creates new offences relating to providing “incorrect or incomplete information to the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment (MBIE)”, and also for failing to provide wage and time records when requested.

It would also extend MBIE’s timeframe for issuing infringement notices for some offences. Migrant exploitation offences have not always been readily or easily reported by victims, which has allowed some offenders to escape justice by dint of the time limits for proceedings allowed for by the Summary Proceedings Act 1957.

The bill will also seek to prevent the use of temporary asylum visas as a stalling tactic in order to apply for a different kind of visa. An asylum claimant who withdraws that claim would be ineligible for other visas.

Political agreement

The three governing parties are in favour, unsurprisingly. Chris Penk spoke for National, on behalf of the Immigration Minister Erica Stanford.

“This bill provides practical, targeted improvements so that our immigration system can detect, deter, and respond to risk in a firm but fair way, welcoming those who contribute while being clear eyed about misuse and criminal behaviour.”

ACT’s Parmjeet Parmar noted that while ACT supports the bill, they want to further extend deportation liability for residence class visa holders. The current 10-year liability is being extended to 20 years for serious crimes. Parmar wants more.

“Why should consequences expire after 10 years or 20 years if somebody is on a residence class visa? I am proposing an amendment that it should be an unlimited period – the extension of deportation liability should be for an unlimited period – and I’m talking about serious criminal offending.”

New Zealand First offered no amendments. Casey Costello argued the bill fits with the view of American conservative political philosopher Russell Kirk that “every right is married to a duty; every freedom owes a corresponding responsibility”.

Political opposition

Labour’s Phil Twyford (a former associate minister of immigration), strongly opposed the bill.

“This bill is a pretty naked exercise in election-year politicking at the expense of migrants and refugees. The minister of immigration wants to look tough.”

Speaking from his experience as a minister and electorate MP he spoke about humanitarian cases that sometimes involved disabled children.

“I can tell the House that there’s no shortage of cases where Immigration New Zealand has made a sequence of poor decisions, where the interests of the children have not been given the weight required under our international treaty obligations. Justice is, in a significant number of cases, only finally delivered through an appeal to the tribunal on exceptional humanitarian circumstances.”

Green MP Ricardo Menendez March was no less incensed, though his focus was on undocumented migrants.

“This is a Trump administration-inspired, MAGA-loving piece of legislation that deserves to be put in the bin. If you heard the minister’s contribution, you would think that this is a completely different bill from the one I have in front of me.

“In the bill itself, it’s quite clear: this is a bill that seeks to demonise and target undocumented migrants by giving more powers to our immigration officials to target them if they suspect that they may be in breach of their visa conditions.”

Duncan Webb raised an issue with the proposed changes to rules about cancelling an asylum claim. He pointed out that if an asylum seeker fell in love with a New Zealand citizen while awaiting a decision on their claim, they would no longer be able to cancel their claim (in order to obtain a partnership visa) because doing so would make them ineligible for any visa.

Te Pāti Māori did not speak in the first reading debate.

• The Immigration (Enhanced Risk Management) Amendment Billis here.
• The bill’s Parliamentary progress page ishere.
• The Regulatory Impact Statement for the billis here.
• The Departmental Disclosure Statement for the billis here.
• The Hansard report of the first reading debate ishere.
• The Education & Workforce Committee page – for information on submissions etc ishere.

RNZ’s The House, with insights into Parliament, legislation and issues, is made with funding from Parliament’s Office of the Clerk. Enjoy ourarticles orpodcast at RNZ.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Concerns are growing among health providers and whānau about the governments proposed alcohol reforms, with warnings they could increase harm in vulnerable communities.

A young māmā from East Auckland says the reforms feel like “profit over people”, and “a slap in the face”, especially for advocates who have worked hard to decrease alcohol visibility in their rohe.

Twenty-five-year-old Tiana Kiro is calling for the Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Improving Alcohol Regulation) Amendment Bill to be scrapped, after it was introduced to Parliament in March by Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee and Regulation Minister David Seymour.

Kiro, who was born and raised in Glen Innes, said liquor stores were part of “everyday life” growing up and she did not want the same for her pēpi.

“For my community, alcohol is everywhere,” she told RNZ.

“When I left my whare every day to go to school, it was at every corner. It was normalised like milk, sugar, bread.”

The mother of one, who is expecting another baby, said that environment shaped the people around her.

“I don’t want that around my babies. I don’t want it normalised.”

She said the proposed reforms risked embedding that even further.

“To me, that looks like putting profit before people.”

What are the proposed reforms?

The government says the bill aims to reduce red tape, make it easier for businesses to obtain licences, and trust adults to make their own choices.

Key changes include:

• Limiting objections to licence applications or renewals to only those living or working in the same council area, or within 1 kilometre of the proposed licensed premises.
• Allowing licence applicants to respond to objections
• Preventing licence renewals being declined due to local alcohol policies
• Expanding who can sell alcohol, including clubs and some restaurants
• Making it easier to host events with alcohol
• Allowing licensed venues to open outside normal hours for major events – like the Rugby World Cup
• Letting barbers and hairdressers offer limited alcohol without a licence
• Expanding tasting rules beyond wineries
• Simplifying rules for low and zero alcohol options
• Clarifying responsibilities for alcohol delivery services

McKee said the changes would make the system “fairer” and less bureaucratic, while Seymour said adults in a “free society” should be trusted to make their own choices.

The bill is expected to be considered by Parliament in the coming months.

A 2024 report by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research estimated alcohol-related harm cost Aotearoa around $9.1 billion annually, including about 900 deaths, 1250 cancers, and tens of thousands of hospitalisations.

Māori experienced disproportionate harm and are more than twice as likely to die from alcohol-related causes than non-Māori. Māori were also more likely to be apprehended by police for an offence that involved alcohol.

Tamariki Māori were also exposed to alcohol marketing significantly more often than Pākehā children.

Research showed this was closely linked to environmental factors, including higher exposure to alcohol outlets, greater levels of deprivation and reduced access to health services.

In a statement to RNZ, McKee said the $9.1 billion figure cited by critics was “a gross cost estimate that tells us nothing about which specific policies reduce harm or at what cost.”

“Good policy requires that discipline. We should be asking whether each rule is delivering measurable harm reduction proportionate to its costs, and removing those that aren’t.

“The single biggest driver of that figure is fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, which accounts for $4.8 billion of the total. FASD is a serious harm and the government is taking it seriously, directing more of the alcohol levy toward identifying and funding cost-effective interventions to reduce it.”

McKee said licensed premises were controlled environments with trained staff and legal obligations, and making it easier for people to drink in those settings could reduce harm compared to unsupervised drinking.

She also rejected concerns the reforms would silence communities.

“Everyone will continue to maintain the ability to object to liquor licences and renewals in their local community,” she said.

“Our changes are about stopping those who are not impacted, such as people on the other side of the country, or even overseas, from objecting.”

McKee said the reforms also strengthened rules around alcohol delivery and aimed to improve access to zero-alcohol alternatives.

“Every New Zealander deserves policy focused on what actually reduces harm. That is the standard these reforms are held to, and it is the right standard for all New Zealanders regardless of their background.”

But critics say the reforms weaken safeguards and prioritise economic growth over public health, especially in communities where access “is already a problem.”

“In our town centre alone, there’s like three or four liquor stores, and we’re not even that big,” Kiro said.

She also raised concerns about proposals to allow alcohol in spaces like salons and barbershops.

“You go get your nails done, you get offered a drink, then another, and then you’re driving home,” she said.

“For some people, it’s not easy to say no.

“Someone might have a few drinks and then get behind the wheel, and then who do you blame? Profit over people, that’s what it feels like.”

For kaupapa Māori provider Ki Tua o Matariki, those experiences reflected what they were hearing across their communities.

Chief executive Zoe Witika-Hawke said the reforms risked deepening existing inequities.

“These changes might seem small on their own, but together they make alcohol more present in our everyday environments, and that matters.

“We know alcohol outlets are more concentrated in lower-income communities, while access to health support is often more limited.

“That imbalance shapes the environments our whānau are living in every day.”

She said alcohol harm was not just about individual choice.

“It’s shaped by how available it is, where it shows up, and what becomes normal.”

Witika-Hawke pointed to the impact on future generations, including FASD, a lifelong condition caused by prenatal alcohol exposure.

“Every increase in alcohol availability increases risk, particularly for māmā hapū navigating stress and systemic barriers.”

Te Whatu Ora estimated 1800 to 3000 babies every year may be affected by FASD. That’s roughly eight babies per day.

“We need to be clear, this is not about blaming māmā. Stigma has never prevented harm. Safe environments and strong support systems do.”

Witika-Hawke said communities had already been clear about what they wanted.

“They don’t want alcohol shops everywhere in their communities.”

Hāpai Te Hauora chief operating officer Jason Alexander said the reforms ignored strong evidence linking alcohol availability to harm.

“Anything that makes alcohol more accessible and visible will inevitably cause more harm,” he told RNZ.

“We know that people’s hauora is affected by the environment in which they live. If alcohol is more accessible, then people will access it more.”

He said alcohol harm extended beyond just the individual.

“Alcohol harm doesn’t happen in isolation. It is shaped by the environments we create, how widely alcohol is available, how it’s marketed, and how many outlets operate in a community.”

Restricting objections to licences, he said, limited community voice.

“That is essentially silencing those communities.”

Alcohol Healthwatch executive director Andrew Galloway told RNZ the scale of alcohol harm was significant in Aotearoa, and that the reforms appeared to remove effective protections.

“It does seem like that is giving the alcohol industry a wish list of changes,” he said.

“We know that when alcohol becomes more available, these increases are strongly linked to increased hazardous drinking.”

“We also see higher rates of cancer, and we know there is no safe limit.”

Polling commissioned by Health Coalition Aotearoa and the Cancer Society found 76 percent of respondents supported limits on the number of alcohol outlets in neighbourhoods.

“So changes that reduce community say, go directly against that support,” he said.

“We’re really disappointed that this package introduces very few restrictions and more liberalisation.”

Galloway said the direction of the reforms contradicted other government strategies, including suicide prevention efforts that put an emphasis on reducing alcohol harm.

“It just makes logical sense that we would look to restrict alcohol, not make it more available.”

Pre-colonisation, Māori were among the few known societies not to have manufactured or used alcohol – or psychoactive substances.

Quoted by Rev. W J Williams, ‘In the Beginning. Period up to 1886’, “The white man and the whisky bottle came to New Zealand together.”

The Māori word for alcohol is ‘waipiro’, translating to ‘stinking water’.

Witika-Hawke told RNZ, alcohol was used as a tool to take away their land – specifically in their iwi Ngāti Paoa.

“We’ve worked really hard to tell another story about our relationship with alcohol. And the alcohol industry has really, I think, picked on us in regards to ensuring that we’re trapped in the thinking of alcohol as part of who we are.

“It’s not part of who we are. It wasn’t part of who we were prior to colonisation. And returning to that state of health where it isn’t in our communities, I think, is the journey that we all want, and need, so that we remain healthy and don’t go back to a place where alcohol is thought to be who we are.”

At a time where fuel prices and the costs of living increases, Kiro said many whānau are already under pressure, and changes like these revert away from the issue.

“We’ve got bigger things to worry about, rent, food, petrol,” she said. “And now you’re adding more alcohol into the mix.”

She said addiction was a reality in many communities.

“Unless you’ve actually been around it, you don’t understand how hard it is.

“We’re not saying no alcohol forever… We’re saying stop oversaturating communities that are already struggling.

“Do I need seven liquor stores in my community? No, not really.”

She said whānau had spent years advocating for change, only to feel ignored.

“It’s a bit of a slap in the face. We did the mahi. We showed up. We told them what’s happening in our communities.

“And now it feels like they’re not listening.

“If they don’t listen now, by the time they realise something’s gone wrong, it’s going to be too late.”

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Source: New Zealand Government

Check against delivery

Kia ora, and thank you so much for inviting me here today. It is great to be with you all.

Can I start by thanking Fran O’Sullivan for her hard work in organising and supporting this annual event, and also NZME and the NZ Herald for sponsoring the event as always.

I would also like to acknowledge our Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson, Councillor Richard Hills, and Councillor Andy Baker.

I also wish to acknowledge the opposition spokesperson for Auckland and Shanan Halbert. Lovely to see you here today.

And I want to acknowledge everyone in this room for the role you play in leading our great city. We are proud to be Aucklanders. We are proud of all this city has to offer, and we are all committed to making it a better place. That shared commitment mirrors our Government’s focus on fixing the basics and building the future of Auckland.

Conflict in Iran

Before I speak about the Government’s priorities, I want to acknowledge the global context we are all operating in. Everything has changed in the past four weeks with the conflict in Iran.

The Strait of Hormuz, the narrow stretch of water between Iran and Oman, carries around 20 percent of the world’s daily oil supply, and the conflict in Iran is leading to significant disruption in global oil markets. Kiwis are feeling that right now at the pump.

Our Government is responding quickly and decisively with two key priorities. First, ensuring New Zealand has continued access to fuel supplies. Second, providing targeted support to those who need it most.

As Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed, we continue to have a stable fuel supply, with combined jet, petrol and diesel stocks equating to around 48.6 days of cover nationwide, meaning there is no need for immediate concern. But we are taking every action we can to shore up our position.

We have aligned our fuel standards with Australia to ensure we have access to more markets to purchase fuel products from. We are working with Australia and other nations to secure the supplies we need. And the Minister of Finance has today announced our Fuel Response Plan, which sets out clearly how we will act if we begin to face disruption in our supply chains.

There are four phases to this plan, of which we have already announced phases one and two in detail. For phases three and four, we will consult closely with industry and sector groups, as these phases would require additional restrictions. As the Minister of Finance has made clear, though, success means not having to move to phases three or four. Our focus remains on our priority: ensuring a secure fuel supply for New Zealanders.

Alongside this, we have announced targeted support for working families. We cannot control global oil markets or international conflicts, but we can soften the impact on working families who cannot easily avoid higher fuel costs. From 7 April, around 143,000 working families with children will receive an extra fifty dollars a week through a boost to the in-work tax credit. That targeted increase will be temporary, lasting for one year or until the price of 91 octane petrol drops below three dollars a litre for four consecutive weeks.

That is what responsible, temporary and targeted relief looks like.

Improvements in Auckland under National

Turning now to Auckland. While what is happening internationally will continue to occupy our attention, today is also an opportunity to take stock of the real progress this city has made over the past two years.

When National came into office, Auckland had been through an extraordinarily difficult stretch. The COVID-19 lockdowns had closed this city repeatedly, as the Royal Commission found, and we now know they went longer than the public health advice supported. The economic toll of those decisions fell hardest here. Businesses that had fought to survive were then hit by inflation peaking at over seven percent, mortgage repayments that had doubled for some families, and a cost-of-living squeeze felt right across the city. And if that was not enough, there were the ram raids. Retailers were boarding up their shopfronts, and a city that had, for a time, lost its footing.

That was the Auckland we inherited. And it is why the work of the past two years has been so focused on getting back to basics: restoring economic stability, restoring law and order, and restoring confidence in our public services.

And we have delivered:

We abolished the 11.5 cents per litre Auckland Regional Fuel Tax, putting money back in the pockets of Auckland households and businesses.
Our water reforms are saving Aucklanders hundreds of dollars on their water bills.
We have made meaningful Auckland governance changes to restore democratic decision-making.
We are progressing time-of-use schemes to improve flow across our motorways.
We’re negotiating a regional deal that gives Auckland a genuine partnership with central government.

The results speak for themselves. The NZIER Business Confidence survey shows the strongest equal result since 1994. The Consumer Sentiment Index has risen to 107, reflecting more optimism than pessimism for the first time in several years. Building activity is up, with a 13 percent increase in new dwellings consented in the year to January. Interest rates have come down meaningfully, which is real relief for homeowners and businesses alike. And the International Convention Centre is now open, already hosting 120 events over the year and generating international visitor spend that flows through the whole Auckland economy.

These are not small things. They are the product of a clear plan focused on fixing the basics and building the future.

Opportunities We Must Seize

With that foundation in place, the question now is: what do we do with it? Because Auckland’s best days are not behind us, they are ahead of us, and there are real opportunities in front of us that we must seize together.

The City Rail Link will open this year. It is the largest infrastructure project in New Zealand’s history, started under a National Government and delivered by a National Government. When it opens, it will transform how people move around Auckland, cut travel times, and unlock development opportunities along the rail corridor. But we need to make sure we capture the full benefit. That means using the planning tools available to us to ensure housing growth happens around the stations, with density in the right places and of the right kind. A rail network only delivers its full potential when the city grows intelligently around it, and we are working to make sure our planning settings support exactly that.

On transport more broadly, the CRL is just the beginning. We are progressing the next generation of projects that will define Auckland’s connectivity for decades to come: Mill Road, Northwestern Rapid Transit, and completing the Eastern Busway. 

On safety, the progress in our city centre has been real and measurable. Through our Housing First initiative, 188 people have been placed into housing by March, up from just 33 when the plan was announced in November. Crime victimisations have fallen from 1,010 in January 2024 to 638 in December 2025. A new Police Station in the CBD and officers increasingly on the beat are making a tangible difference. New move-on powers for Police will give them an important additional tool to address the antisocial behaviour that drives people away from our city centre. Our approach balances support with accountability: helping those who need housing and mental health services, while taking firm action against behaviour that makes people feel unsafe.

On health, waiting times skyrocketed following Labour’s decisions to remove the previous National Government’s health targets, and Health New Zealand was left managing $28 billion on a single Excel spreadsheet following the decisions to restructure our healthcare system in the middle of a pandemic. National has brought back the health targets, and we are seeing encouraging improvements across the board, with Kiwis spending less time in emergency departments, more children being fully immunised by the age of 24 months, and waitlists for elective surgeries and first specialist assessments coming down. 

There is still more work to do, however, our focus on fixing the basics is delivering results.

As part of this continued focus, today I am pleased to announce that Health New Zealand is issuing a Request for Proposal to identified landowners for land in Drury, to support the development of a future South Auckland hospital. This is the next concrete step towards a major new hospital health precinct for one of the fastest-growing parts of this country, and it is a step that has been a long time coming. South Auckland carries some of the highest health burdens in New Zealand, with elevated rates of infectious disease, diabetes, cardiovascular and chronic respiratory conditions, and a population projected to grow by hundreds of thousands by 2050. Drury is the right location. It sits alongside our Roads of Regional Significance and planned public transport infrastructure, meaning patients, staff and visitors can actually get there. Securing the right site now means Health New Zealand can plan with confidence, and future investment goes to the right place, at the right scale.

Conclusion

When I look at the full picture, Auckland has real momentum behind it. Inflation is down. Interest rates are down. Business confidence is up. Crime is down. We are delivering in health and in education. The Convention Centre is open and the City Rail Link is coming. These are the results of a clear plan that is working, and we need to stick to it.

We also need to work in genuine partnership with Auckland Council to deliver on these objectives. We have devolved decision-making to the Council in a number of areas, and that makes sense. But this is not an Auckland versus Wellington thing. The majority of Cabinet Ministers come from Auckland. We live here, we shop here, we sit in the same traffic as everyone else in this room. Ministers are constantly engaging with the Mayor and the Council. We are not here to serve Auckland Council. We are here to deliver for Aucklanders.

Yes, we are living in challenging times. The conflict in Iran is a reminder that we cannot always control what arrives on our doorstep. But what we can control is how prepared we are, how resilient we are, and how well we have set Auckland up to seize the opportunities ahead of it.

Auckland’s best days lie ahead of us. The plan is working. Let’s continue to fix the basics and build the future.

Thank you very much.

MIL OSI

Source: Radio New Zealand

Does New Zealand have robust enough checks and balances to stop politicians lying in election ads – or should we be looking to Australia for stronger laws

In South Australia, by law, politicians aren’t allowed to lie in their election ads.

You might think that it would be normal that politicians don’t lie in their election ads, and that this would be an unnecessary rule.

But redundant or not, commentators say the fact that they check themselves before sending out their official messaging has helped turn the heat down during election campaigns.

The law is popular with voters and has been praised internationally as a tool for regulating political speech, but it’s also been criticised as labour-intensive to police, and something that has become weaponised by political parties.

It only governs advertising, not statements, what’s said on the campaign trail or on social media.

In New Zealand our watchdog over political advertising is the same body that governs all advertising – the Advertising Standards Authority. It doesn’t have the force of criminal penalties behind it, but it is a mechanism to have false information removed.

If there is a complaint, that board will often make a decision within 48 – 72 hours, and if it finds the message incorrect, it will be taken down. The ASA is the referee in this area, and all parties so far abide by it.

The subject of electoral law is a specialty topic for political commentator David Farrar. He says there is actually a law in New Zealand governing truth in politics, but it’s much wider – although it only applies for the 48 hours before an election. It’s section 199A of the Electoral Act.

“It actually can apply to anyone in New Zealand who states something false which could influence the election,” he says.

“It basically says it’s a corrupt practice – so that means you can go to jail for what’s a criminal offence – to make a knowingly false statement within 48 hours of an election, designed to influence the election.”

The law’s been in place for several decades and Farrar says it reflects a time before the news cycle was sped up, and before advance voting came in, so it’s pretty out of date.

“It’s from the days if you pop out say, a pamphlet to every household on the Friday before an election and there was something false in there, back in the old days there’d be no way to correct that. It would be too late and then you might have an election outcome that got decided on false information. Now, my view is, that’s not the case today.”

He says these days, it would be questioned on social media within 10 minutes, and reported on by media within an hour.

“It’s still on the books – Parliament hasn’t removed it – I don’t think there’s ever been a prosecution under it, but I do recall Winston [Peters] threatening me with it around 20 years ago for something – which was accurate by the way – that I published on my blog on a Friday before the election.”

Farrar says where it gets interesting though, is the question of what is actually false.

‘Those tricks are as old as the hills’

That’s a point also emphasised by Tim Hurdle, a political consultant and long-time political campaign manager who ran Auckland mayor Wayne Brown’s campaign, and the National Party’s campaign in 2020.

“Even with numbers you get into the old quote, ‘lies, damn lies and statistics’ because people look at base years; they can stretch out over what, quarters or months; or they can decide to use a real or nominal number when it comes to economic numbers … those tricks are as old as the hills. They’re used by every political party.

“I don’t think you can necessarily determine it’s an incorrect method – it’s the choice of the person who’s using them.

“But often if they are used in an almost farcical way then they will get called out, but generally they may be technically true or correct and pass some sort of legal test, but are they actually credible with the public is actually the ultimate political test.”

Mostly though, Hurdle points out that politicians don’t want to be caught out in a lie – because it hands their opposition a weapon with which they can attack.

The editor of The Post, Tracy Watkins, says New Zealand has self-regulation and laws which oversee not just political advertising but the broader advertising environment.

“The basis of those is that something has to be factually correct and truthful,” she says.

“Definitely the South Australian [law] does seem to be a much more robust law in that it’s got very strong powers to enforce, and to fine, and to order take-downs and things; but the Advertising Standards Authority I think operates under a self-regulatory regime, same as the Media Council.

“But there’s quite a lot of power in that, because under that sort of regime the media organisations have to agree that the referee’s word is final, and they have to abide by what the referee has said, and to a certain extent everyone benefits from that, even though sometimes we disagree.”

Watkins says we don’t necessarily need a new law to deal with lying.

“I think we’ve got enough guardrails in place to deal with that.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

The government has fleshed out its National Fuel Plan, outlining rationing measures that would be taken if supplies start running dry.

Resembling the Covid alert levels, the plan has four ‘phases’. New Zealand is at phase one.

Phase 2 would see homes, businesses and the public sector encouraged to conserve fuel.

The higher phases are still under consultation.

Phase 3 would see fuel prioritised for life-preserving services and phase 4 would see stricter intervention in fuel distribution.

Moving up or down levels is decided by a ministerial oversight group based on fuel stocks, restrictions and supply chain data.

“While there is currently no need for fuel restrictions, the public can be assured that the government is planning carefully, acting early and making sure New Zealand is well positioned to respond, whatever the global environment brings,” Finance Minister Nicola Willis said.

“Ensuring New Zealand has the fuel we need to protect jobs, livelihoods and the wider economy is our first priority in managing the impact of global fuel disruption.

“The updates released today give practical effect to the National Fuel Plan established in 2024 and reflect the specific potential risks New Zealand could face as a result of major fuel disruption driven by the conflict in the Middle East.”

Minister Shane Jones, responsible for fuel security, said the updates were developed alongside the fuel industry.

“This is critical because the plan relies on fuel companies cooperating and working constructively with government,” he said.

“My expectation is that we continue to work together as the situation evolves. The industry will play a key role in providing advice to the Ministerial Oversight Group if and when we are required to consider a move between phases.

“New Zealand has sufficient fuel stocks, but we are planning for potential scenarios where obtaining future supply could become increasingly difficult.”

The criteria for changing phases were:

“The plan is designed to keep fuel flowing where it matters most, relying on market settings wherever possible, and only stepping in further if supply is genuinely at risk,” Willis said.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Christchurch Methodist Mission is warning that homelessness among older people is at crisis levels and that the situation is rapidly worsening.

The scale of the problem was laid bare during the launch of the charity’s cross-party Doors to Dignity campaign at Parliament on Tuesday night.

The mission said the housing situation for older New Zealanders had deteriorated significantly over the past five years.

Its executive director Jilll Hawkey said that, anecdotally, the number of older people rough sleeping was on the rise.

“We see it from our housing outreach teams, we’ve in recent weeks found a couple of women in their eighties who have been homeless and two men last week in their sevenites who are homeless,” she said.

Hawkey said the housing crisis was especially bad for renters aged 65 and over.

”There is a lot of evidence that this is a growing crisis. The percentage of those aged over 65 years on the social housing register has grown at a faster rate than any other age group.”

The Christchurch Methodist Mission said two out of every three renters aged 65 to 74 spent 40 percent or more of their income on rent.

Hawkey believed the answer to the crisis was simple.

“We need homes to be built that are affordable, accessible and warm, that foster cultural connections and that are embedded in local communities. We know the difference that living in such a home makes.”

The charity’s Doors to Dignity campaign advocated for cross-party support for government investment in what it considered appropriate housing for older people.

Speaking at the launch, Housing Minister Chris Bishop said parliament did not use to take housing seriously enough, but now acknowleged there was a crisis.

He said housing supply did not meet the specific needs of older people.

”Fifty percent of people of the [social housing] register need a one bedroom house. Twelve percent of Kainga Ora stock is one bedroom. We’ve been building the wrong houses for years and years. We need to build simply, low cost affordable units, increasingly for seniors.”

Labour’s housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said flawed data was masking the true scale of the homelessness crisis among older people.

”We don’t know how many people are in severe housing hardship. We don’t know how many people are sleeping rough. We, up until now, have been relying on a census that happens once every five years and, frankly, despite the best efforts of all of you and others, if you are living rough filling out a form is not going to be a priority and then we have a five year gap before we have another idea.”

Green Party housing spokesperson Tamatha Paul said New Zealand did not have the infrastructure for older people to have a dignified life.

”Only 2 percent of our overall housing stock is accessible and that’s despite the fact that we have a growing ageing population and also despite the fact that more than a quarter of our population is disabled.”

New Zealand First said the latest Budget would fund hundreds of new social homes in Auckland and help lower borrowing costs for community housing providers.

The Christchurch Methodist Mission said the challenge of older persons’ housing was urgent.

Its Parliamentary petition to increase and target investment in social and affordable housing for older people had 911 signatures.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

MIL OSI

Source: New Zealand Government

The Government has today released updates to the National Fuel Plan to respond to fuel supply uncertainty driven by the conflict in the Middle East, Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Associate Energy Minister Shane Jones say.

“While there is currently no need for fuel restrictions, the public can be assured that the Government is planning carefully, acting early and making sure New Zealand is well positioned to respond, whatever the global environment brings,” Nicola Willis says.

“Ensuring New Zealand has the fuel we need to protect jobs, livelihoods and the wider economy is our first priority in managing the impact of global fuel disruption.

“The updates released today give practical effect to the National Fuel Plan established in 2024 and reflect the specific potential risks New Zealand could face as a result of major fuel disruption driven by the conflict in the Middle East.”

The plan outlines four clear phases that respond proportionately to the risks to New Zealand’s fuel security. These phases are assessed separately for petrol, diesel and jet fuel to reflect their different functions and challenges.

At each phase is a set of measures that would be taken in response to escalating risks to New Zealand’s fuel security.

The Fuel Security Ministerial Oversight Group will be responsible for deciding whether a shift between phases is appropriate, with the group required to consider a move when there is a change in any of the six assessment criteria. These criteria will be used to assess a movement up or down a response phase.

The criteria are:

1. export restrictions – if any of New Zealand’s source refineries introduce or relax export restrictions
2. changes to New Zealand’s fuel stock levels of plus or minus three days since the most recent published update
3. a fuel company informs the government that they are unlikely or unable to fill future orders
4. a breach, or a notification of an imminent breach, of the minimum storage obligations
5. any significant policy changes in Australia or from the International Energy Agency
6. a significant disruption to regional distribution.

“The plan is designed to keep fuel flowing where it matters most, relying on market settings wherever possible, and only stepping in further if supply is genuinely at risk,” Nicola Willis says.

Phase 1 of the plan focuses on monitoring global developments, easing restrictions to increase optionality (such as changing fuel specifications), providing information to fuel consumers of measures to support voluntary reductions in fuel use, and working with fuel companies to keep fuel moving efficiently across the country.

Phase 2 would see more active coordination between government and industry to shore up fuel supply and support increased efforts in demand reduction.

At Phase 2 there would be a stronger push for voluntary uptake by households and businesses of measures that help to conserve fuel, and a reduction in the public sector’s use of fuel where appropriate.

If disruption increases, the plan allows for stronger interventions at Phases 3 and 4 including prioritising fuel for emergency services, freight and food supply chains, and key industries that underpin New Zealand’s economy.

“The measures at Phases 1 and 2 are designed to prevent a move to more restrictive measures. This plan is about staying ahead of the risk, managing pressure in the system and keeping the economy moving,” Nicola Willis says.

“It is prudent, however, to plan for all scenarios so that everyone – the Government, industries, businesses and the general public – is prepared.

“Therefore, we will be engaging with stakeholders over the next two weeks including industry, fuel users, and local government on the implementation details of Phases 3 and 4.”

Shane Jones, who has responsibility for fuel security, says the Government has worked closely with industry on developing the updates to the National Fuel Plan.

“This is critical because the plan relies on fuel companies cooperating and working constructively with government.

“My expectation is that we continue to work together as the situation evolves. The industry will play a key role in providing advice to the Ministerial Oversight Group if and when we are required to consider a move between phases.

“New Zealand has sufficient fuel stocks, but we are planning for potential scenarios where obtaining future supply could become increasingly difficult.”

MIL OSI

Source: Radio New Zealand

A prominent backer of the Lake Onslow pumped hydro scheme says he’s already fielding interest from international investors.

It is a project that has been around for years, picked up by the last Labour government, but then scrapped after the election amid strong criticism from National.

Now it is being backed by a private-sector firm, The Clutha Pumped Hydro Consortium, and the government has agreed to refer the scheme for possible fast-tracking.

Consortium member and also former Meridian Energy chief executive and Transpower chairperson Keith Turner told Morning Report the large infrastructure project was perfect for fast-track consideration.

He said the group was pleased to finally see some momentum and others were taking an interest.

“Projects like this have got real appeal to big international investors that want long-dated revenues.

“I’ve been working in Australia with the New South Wales government doing big renewable energy zones. Global companies from all around the world have turned up for that and they’ve all been whispering in my ear that they’d love to do business in New Zealand.

“So we’ve already got interest from some pretty big companies from overseas and believe it or not a lot of support in New Zealand too.”

He said the group had been in regular communication with local iwi and would be happy to have them on board.

Turner estimated the build would cost around $8-10 billion and if successful, could be up-and-running by 2035.

He said the project was similar in scale to the Manapōuri Power Station and could generate a lot of power for a relatively small lake.

“It can store about 5000 gigawatt-hours and that’s enough to cover a dry year-and-a-half so it’s a very important feature for the future.”

One gigawatt-hour can power roughly 10,000 homes for a year.

Turner said the plant could work as a battery – water could be pumped back into the lake during periods of low energy demand.

“When the prices are low it usually means there’s a lot of spare power … so we would pump the water up to Lake Onslow.

“It can do several things. It can deal with these dry years because it stores a lot, but it can also do this on a daily cycle. So it could generate when every body gets up for breakfast and it can pump overnight when the prices are low and there’s not much demand.”

Turner rejected concerns that the project would undermine energy companies’ long-term planning.

“When you build wind farms they don’t match up to the demand profile. You need something else to help when there’s no wind. A project like this actually provides a floor in the price because it’s going to be buying power to pump and it will provide intermittency support for wind.”

He believed the project would “unlock some very big wind development in Southland”.

A spokesperson for the Ministry for the Environment said the Minister for Infrastructure had issued a decision to refer the project to the Fast-track approvals process.

“It is eligible to lodge a substantive application to be considered by an expert panel.

“Information on the referral decision is available on the Fast-track projects website here: Clutha Pumped Hydro.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Advocacy groups are supporting the government’s U-turn on minimum size limits for commercial fishers, but still want the government to consider killing the Fisheries Amendment Bill entirely.

Meanwhile, Seafood New Zealand says it is ironic the change has resulted in an outcome that is “not great for the environment”, and doesn’t provide the incentive to avoid catching small fish.

The Fisheries Amendment Bill – as drafted – would have ditched most commercial size limits, effectively allowing commercial vessels to land and sell baby fish, including snapper and tarakihi.

Recreational fishers argued the changes would decimate future populations.

Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has argued the change would prevent wastage, but was forced into a major U-turn over his plans.

As recently as Monday, he was entirely unapologetic about the change, describing critics as just “noisy voices”. But on Wednesday, coalition parties announced on social media that they had listened to public feedback and would no longer proceed.

ITM Fishing Show host Matt Watson told RNZ’s First Up it was a start and called it a “win” for demonstrating what “people power can do”.

However, he said while the bill had “one of the terrible things taken out of it”, it hadn’t been “thrown out”.

“There is a lot more stuff in there that is equally as bad, if not worse.

“There’s still legalised fish dumping in there. There is still reduction in fines for fishes that overfish their quotas, there’s a removal of environmental considerations, and it does nothing to move us away from destructive fishing methods.”

He called on New Zealanders to “stay vigilant”.

LegaSea – a non profit organisation dedicated to restoring the marine environment – said the minimum size limit proposal was just clickbait.

Project lead Sam Woolford told RNZ the change was too little too late. He said if there was an issue with the amount of fish being caught, or the techniques being used, that should be dealt with first, rather than legislating an outcome.

“It’s completely unacceptable that it’s taken this huge public outcry for the government to pay attention.

“It’s particularly unreasonable they think removing one small aspect of this legislation is going to placate New Zealanders.”

The Environmental Law Initiative (ELI) was also concerned with other changes included in the bill, including the siloing of environmental considerations.

ELI director research and legal Dr Matt Hall said as a whole, the bill systematically weakened sustainability provisions in the current Fisheries Act.

He said the bill could lead to impacts of fishing on the ecosystem being ignored, the use of non-regulatory measures to potentially justify higher take, and the strict limitations on judicial review of fisheries decisions.

Hall said the changes were contrary to New Zealand’s obligations under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

But Seafood New Zealand chief executive Lisa Futschek told RNZ she was disappointed because the proposal would have strengthened the incentives for commercial fishers to avoid catching small fish.

“We don’t want to catch small fish, our processors don’t want to process small fish, and this proposal would have provided incentives not to catch small fish.”

She said the change would have meant those catching small fish would have needed to balance that fish against their quota: “In other words, they would have to pay for it.

“As it turns out, removing that clause means that the status quo remains. That is, fishers that catch small fish, return them to the sea, as they were required to do under the legislation – and they don’t pay for it.”

She said the proposed changes were “net positive for the environment and for sustainability of our resource”.

Asked about the coalition referencing feedback it had received in making the decision, she said fisheries and seafood were “a very emotive topic”.

“They are part of our culture and our heritage, and understandably, people are passionate about it, and they want to have their say in this situation.”

She said the level of disinformation around what the clause was seeking to achieve led to a whole range of speculation around the motives behind the change, “which were frankly wrong”.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand