Former Perth Wildcats chief executive officer (CEO), Troy Georgiu is crossing the Tasman to take on the same role with the New Zealand Breakers.
The Breakers CEO role had been vacant since the basketball club brought in new owners in March.
Georgiu has a 20-year legacy in the NBL and the club said in a statement his mandate was to make the Breakers “the NBL’s premier sporting organisation, on and off the court”.
Starting with the Wildcats in 2002, Georgiu served as commercial manager for a decade before leading the club as CEO from 2017 to 2022.
Georgiu was on board with the Wildcats when the team secured back-to-back NBL championships in 2019 and 2020 and was “instrumental in maintaining the club’s legendary 35-year finals streak while delivering record-breaking membership and commercial revenue”.
His professional profile sent out by the Breakers highlighted his work as a brand revitalisation expert in “building and protecting much-loved sporting brands, ensuring they resonate with fans while meeting rigorous profitability standards”.
Following his tenure in Perth, Georgiu transitioned into business advisory.
Breakers Chairperson Marc Mitchell said Georgiu was a “world-class executive who understands the unique intersection of community, brand, and winning”.
“After conducting a global search Troy emerged as our first choice and we are excited to bring in a proven executive of his calibre.
“Our goal is to make the Breakers the top sporting brand in New Zealand, and Troy is the leader to help us get there.”
Georgiu said he understood the importance of the Breakers to basketball in New Zealand.
“I am honoured to lead this next chapter for a club that is a cornerstone of New Zealand sport. My focus is on building a front office that is as high performing as our team on the court.
“We want to grow the club, engage our fans more deeply, and ensure the BNZ Breakers compete for Championships every year.”
Georgiu will oversee all aspects of the club’s business operations.
Dillon Boucher is the president of basketball operations, overseeing all aspects of basketball and performance and his role remained unchanged as Georgiu joined the club immediately.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Neither the right or left bloc would be able to govern if an election were held today, according to the latest Taxpayers’ Union-Curia Poll.
The Labour Party has dropped 0.3 points to 34.1 percent, while National dropped 0.2 points to 31.3 percent.
New Zealand First dropped 1.4 points to 10.5 percent, while the Greens jumped 2.6 points to 10.3 percent.
The ACT Party dropped 0.3 points to 6.7 percent, while Te Pāti Māori dropped 0.1 points to 2.9 percent.
The combined projected seats for the centre-right bloc was down 3 seats to 60, while the combined seats for the centre-left block rose 3 seats to 60.
On these numbers, there would be a hung Parliament.
For parties outside of Parliament, TOP was on 1.4 percent (+0.7 points), NZ Outdoors and Freedom was on 1.2 percent (+0.6 points), Vision NZ was on 0.4 percent (+0.1 points), and New Conservatives were on 0.1 percent (-0.2 points).
Cost of living remained the most important issue, jumping 7.4 points to 34.9 percent; the highest result since May 2024.
The economy more generally sat as the second most important issue on 12.0 percent (-2.8 points), followed by health on 9.2 percent (+0.4 points).
The poll was conducted by Curia Market Research Ltd for the NZ Taxpayers’ Union. It is a random poll of 1000 adult New Zealanders and is weighted to the overall adult population. It was conducted by phone (landlines and mobile) and online between Sunday 1 February and Tuesday 3 February 2026. It has a maximum margin of error of +/- 3.1 percent.
Curia is a long-running and established pollster in New Zealand. In 2024 it resigned its membership from the Research Association New Zealand (RANZ) industry body.
Polls compare to the most recent poll by the same polling company, as different polls can use different methodologies. They are intended to track trends in voting preferences, showing a snapshot in time, rather than be a completely accurate predictor of the final election result.
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The changes bring ASB and Kiwibank into line with all other major banks.SUPPLIED
Fast changes in wholesale interest rates have seen ASB and Kiwibank become the last of the major bank lenders to hike their longer term fixed home loan rates.
ASB’s increases range between 10 to 20 basis points for loans fixed between 1 and 3 years, while Kiwibank has made adjustments to its 2 to 5 year rates. Both banks have shaved a little off their six month offering.
The changes bring ASB and Kiwibank into line with all other major banks, which have also bumped up rates in recent weeks.
ASB chief economist Nick Tuffley says the switch from talk of cuts to possible interest rate hikes in the Reserve Bank’s latest outlook has compelled markets to adjust pricing.
“We’ve seen for 2 year rates, a good 50 basis point increase in wholesale rates and nearly 60 for the 3 year, since the Reserve Bank’s statement last year, so to date the moves we’ve seen with mortgage rates aren’t really keeping up with that yet.”
Nick Tuffley says all banks are seeing similar impacts on their funding costs, leading them to pass on the increases to borrowers.
“I think the key message for people is that period of really low interest rates, super low interest rates, has gone, but the market’s settling into a reality of the cash rate’s likely to be on hold for most of this year, but we’re past the lows now,”
While tough for borrowers, savers will benefit from higher term deposit rates across the board, with banks looking to attract funding. Term deposit rates beyond the 9 month mark have had a significant adjustment, up anywhere between 5 and 35 basis points.
“Not too long ago, you could get a 2 year mortgage for not less than 4 and 4.5 percent,” says Nick Tuffley.
“Now you can put money on deposit for two years at 4% percent so quite a catch-up.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Attributable to Detective Sergeant Caroline Johnson:
A scene guard will remain in place in central Christchurch overnight as Police continue to investigate a serious assault.
At around 12:20pm today Police were called to a property on Fitzgerald Avenue, where a man was found in a critical condition, with injuries consistent with being stabbed.
A scene examination, and Police investigation, is ongoing. Scene guards will remain in place overnight – as this occurs, there will be increased Police visibility in the area.
Police want to reassure the public that there is not believed to be a threat to public safety.
The Government is further protecting productive land by committing nearly $28 million for erosion control projects, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay announced today.
Applications for funding support under the Hill Country Erosion Programme (HCEP) opened today, and councils across the country are invited to submit proposals for eligible projects. This round allocates $27.8 million for erosion control work to be delivered between 2027 and 2031.
The programme helps reduce the impacts of severe weather, protect soil health, and limit downstream damage.
“This programme is one of our most effective tools for supporting farmers and growers to protect their land and prepare for future storms,” Mr McClay says.
“We want to continue safeguarding productive farmland around the country, while reducing the environmental and economic impacts of erosion on local communities.”
Cabinet established the programme in 2007 and Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service’s current $25.2 million investment (2023–2027) is supported by $87 million in cash and in-kind contributions from 14 partner councils and from landowners, reflecting their strong support.
The funding went towards the councils delivering regionally tailored programmes that include treating vulnerable land, working with landowners to create farm-scale erosion control plans, and building regional capability.
A homicide investigation is underway. (File photo)RNZ / Richard Tindiller
A 24-year-old man has appeared in court charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, after a woman was found dead in a Kāpiti Coast house.
Police were called to the Matatua Rd address in Raumati Beach at 1.15am on Monday.
A homicide investigation was underway, and police were considering further charges against the man.
He appeared in Porirua District Court on Monday afternoon, and was due back in court in early March.
His name was suppressed.
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Wellington’s mayor is hopeful the government will back his calls for an inquiry into the Moa Point sewage plant failure.
Mayor Andrew Little is meeting with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on Monday, where the sewage facility will be a focus of conversation.
It flooded last week, destroying much of the plant’s electronics and sending raw sewage into the nearby south coast.
Wellington Water’s chief executive has warned nearby beaches may be shut for months.
Little told Midday Report there was large public interest in the failure, meeting the level of a government inquiry.
“Given the range of parties involved… in order to have a genuinely cohesive, independent review, I think a ministerial inquiry is needed,” Little said.
“That allows the inquiry to have the powers to get the right information and give us an accurate assessment about the causes of the failures.”
Little hopes discussions with Luxon are constructive.
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More AA Insurance customers say they’ve encountered strange changes to their vehicles’ value when their policies renewed.
RNZ reported at the weekend that one woman, Nicki, was upset that the value of her 24-year-old Subaru had increased two-and-a-half times when the policy renewed this year.
AA said it relied on an independent third-party data provider to provide vehicle values. “From time to time, this provider updates their methodology and data sources to ensure the valuations reflect the most accurate and up-to-date market conditions.
“When this happens, customers may see changes, either increases or decreases, in their proposed agreed values at renewal. We encourage customers to get in touch if they would like to discuss their proposed value or agree on a different value with us.”
One man who contacted RNZ said he had a 2003 Subaru Forester insured with AA Insurance that had an agreed value in 2024 of $6500.
“Last year, 2025, AA decided it should be only $2700, a sudden and completely unexpected 58 percent drop in agreed value. I was unable to find any data to support that valuation, complained, and eventually got a helpful staff member who explained that they use a third-party Australian service to value cars. I requested an agreed value of $6000. Fine.
“Now, this year. I have just received an insurance renewal notice with an agreed value of $9900, a whopping 3.67 times the agreed value they pushed one year ago, and, bizarrely, 10 percent more than I paid for the car 11 years ago. Once again I have been completely unable to find any data to support that valuation, and around $6000 to $7000 seems a reasonable agreed value range.”
Another said there seemed to be “something odd” going on.
“I’ve had a 2006 Audi A6 for six years, at the last renewal AA reduced the value of the car to about a third of my estimated value, without highlighting this at the time. I found this underhanded. This meant I was paying about $900 to insure a car for a maximum payout of $1500, with a $500 excess. They refused to raise the value.
“I had the same issue insuring a 2007 Audi A3, they’d only cover it for half what we paid.”
Consumer NZ insurance expert Rebecca Styles said insurers would usually offer the option of either market value or agreed value for car insurance.
“If people aren’t happy with the agreed value, they could shop around.”
She said it could be possible to find another insurer that took a different view.
Financial Services Complaints Ltd, an ombudsman service that deals with complaints that cannot be resolved between financial services providers and customers, has previously said it is important that people read their policies and understand the cover they have.
It has dealt with a number of cases where people have been upset at what insurers were willing to pay for their vehicles.
In one case, a man bought a specialist vehicle that he believed was insured for $39,000.
In late 2023 the vehicle was destroyed and he was upset to find the insurer would only pay $24,000.
He said his insurance broker had not made it clear he only had market value cover. FSCL investigated and said it was hard to see how well this had been disclosed to him.
The brokers offered to pay the difference between the market value of the car and the amount he would have received if it had been insured for agreed value. The policy said this would be market value plus 20 percent, or $4800.
The government says a Liquefied Natural Gas import facility in Taranaki will save New Zealanders about $265 million a year.
Energy Minister Simon Watts on Monday announced a contract was expected to be signed by the middle of the year, with construction finishing next year or early 2028.
A factsheet supplied by the government said the infrastructure costs would be paid for through a levy on electricity of between $2 and $4 /MWh.
The facility was expected to cut future prices by at least $10/MWh, and curb an expected 1.25 percent reduction in Gross Domestic Product from higher energy prices.
While an exact location for the import facility was yet to be determined, all the shortlisted submissions were in Taranaki, Watts said.
Procurement started in October in response to the independent Frontier report, which the government largely rejected.
The report said developing an import facility would make no economic sense if it was used only for firming, when generation is low.
Watts said the government would design an import model bringing in “large shipments only when needed”, and would later become a “fuel source for industrial, commercial and residential users”.
The factsheet said modelling from MBIE had shown the LNG import facility would “effectively cap gas prices”.
MBIE also modelled four other options for cost, timeliness, impact on energy prices, flexibility and wider impacts – but LNG imports were found to achieve lower electricity prices at relatively low capital cost.
Options modelled included a new thermal generation plant to run on coal or biomass; a combination of new and converted ‘peaking’ plant, that would run on diesel; a combination of a new unit at the Huntly power station, new and converted peaking plants, and a demand response; or a combination of LNG importation and refurbishing the Taranaki Combined Cycle plant.
“Other options, including renewable projects, were considered but not advanced due to a range of factors such as expected time to construct, feasibility of generating power reliably on the required scale, and effects on electricity market incentives.”
How did we get here?
Luxon in August 2024 said New Zealand was in an “energy security crisis”, with Winstone and Oji Fibre mills blaming power prices as they began consulting on closures, and NZ First’s Shane Jones accused the gen-tailers of profiteering.
He announced “urgent” actions including an independent review of the sector and removing regulatory barriers for an LNG import facility, which Cabinet agreed to consent.
At that time, a timeframe of winter 2026 was expected.
“It would make no economic sense to develop an LNG import terminal to meet just dry year risk as the large fixed costs would be spread over a relatively small amount of output,” the Frontier report said.
“If an LNG terminal is contemplated as a last resort to provide NZ with a secure energy system, this should be considered as part of a wider gas supply strategy for communities and industrial users where gas is the most economic source of energy.”
Energy Minister Simon Watts at the time said the government would begin procurement the following week and expected to have the facility up and running by winter 2027.
An earlier report in July for the four major gen-tailers Contact, Meridian, Genesis and Mercury – as well as gas company Clarus – found it could take three to four years to set up an import facility at costs ranging from $200m to $1b.
RNZ In-Depth’s Kirsty Johnston in November reported the response from “almost every corner – other than the gas industry itself – was a collective groan”, with sector commentators calling it a “band-aid” solution that “doesn’t make logical sense”.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Simpson, Senior Lecturer in International Studies in the School of Society and Culture, Adelaide University
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has delivered her Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) a landslide victory in the parliamentary elections she called shortly after taking office.
Now that she has consolidated her power in Japan’s legislature (called the Diet), the big question is what she will do with it.
Since her ascent to the prime ministership in a parliamentary vote in October, the ultra conservative Takaichi has upended the normally staid Japanese political system.
Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on the drums together.
Takaichi has cannily taken advantage of the honeymoon phase of her leadership by calling a snap election to gain more power in the Diet before there’s a dip in her popularity.
However, voters will now expect to see a return on their investment, and Takaichi faces the much more daunting task of delivering on her promises. Improving living standards in a country with a rapidly shrinking workforce and ageing population without mass immigration will test her political skills much more than winning an election.
An unlikely election victory
Although Takaichi’s LDP has been in government for most of Japan’s post-war history, it has recently experienced a string of poor election results.
In 2024, it lost the lower house majority it held with its then-coalition partner, Komeito, after a series of corruption scandals. Then, last year, the coalition lost its majority in the upper house, leaving the government hanging by a thread.
The party began its remarkable turnaround following then-Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s resignation in September in the wake of those electoral setbacks.
Many pre-election polls predicted a sizeable victory for the LDP and its new coalition partner, Nippon Ishin (the Japan Innovation Party). Takaichi also received a boost with an endorsement from US President Donald Trump. Although the Japanese public views Trump unfavourably, they also know the US is their ultimate security guarantor against China, in addition to Japan’s largest export destination.
Nevertheless, there were some doubts about whether Takaichi’s popularity, particularly among younger voters, would translate into votes.
In the end, her electoral gold dust rubbed off on the rest of her party. Despite freezing temperatures and record snow in places, the LDP has been comfortably returned to office with a vastly increased majority in the lower house. The coalition now has a two-thirds super-majority, which means she can override the upper house to push through her legislative agenda.
A more assertive posture on China?
Since becoming prime minister, the hawkish Takaichi has taken an assertive position towards China.
In November, she angered Beijing by saying Japan could intervene militarily to help protect Taiwan in the face of a potential Chinese invasion. This resulted in vicious Chinese attacks on Takaichi that continued into the new year.
While the Japanese public is divided over whether to come to Taiwan’s aid in any conflict with China, there is now strong support for Takaichi’s pledge to increase the defence budget to 2% of GDP by this March, two years ahead of schedule.
In December, the Cabinet approved a 9.4% increase in defence spending to achieve this objective, focusing on domestic production and advanced capabilities (cyber, space, long-range strikes).
In response to rising threats from China, North Korea and Russia, Takaichi’s government also plans to revise Japan’s core security and defence strategies this year.
Economic woes front and centre
As much as defence matters, Takaichi will ultimately be judged by the public when it comes to economic policy.
The public is increasingly concerned about rising inflation and stagnant wages leading to falling living standards.
A vivid illustration of this: the price of rice has doubled since 2024, hitting a new high last month. Public anger over rising rice prices even brought down the farm minister last year.
Inflation has been above the Bank of Japan’s 2% target for 45 straight months. And though nominal wages have recently picked up, real incomes have been decreasing for the last four years.
Takaichi has made tackling the cost of living a priority. She has vowed to suspend Japan’s 8% food tax for two years. And last year, her government announced a massive US$135 billion (A$192 billion) stimulus package, including subsidies for electricity and gas bills.
However, these policies will increase the government’s budget deficit, adding to the country’s already sky-high public debt levels.
And last month, Japanese government bond prices collapsed after Takaichi called the election, with the markets predicting a LDP win would result in looser fiscal policy and higher government debt.
The Bank of Japan is unlikely to intervene to support the bond market in any future crisis, which will leave the government with higher borrowing costs, further increasing public debt.
It is too early to know whether Takaichi has the answers to these challenges. But she now has the power, authority and freedom to boldly pursue her policy agenda. Now she will need to deliver the kind of change the electorate expects.
Adam Simpson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
The B2B cross-border trade payment market is immense, yet remain highly underserved
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 9 February 2026 – According to the World Bank, SMEs account for approximately 90% the world’s businesses and contribute 65% of the global cross-border trade. SMEs play a pivotal rolein most economies, particularly in emerging markets. Estimates from the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) suggest that B2B cross-border trade payment market for SMEs is worth approximately $20 trillion.
However, traditional commercial banks have been facing multiple challenges in serving SMEs, including strict compliance and risk control requirements, lower profit generating, and license limitations, resulting in a large unmet demand through formal financial systems.
XTransfer’s field research in emerging markets indicates that many SMEs resort to illicit settlement channels like underground banks out of necessity. In fact, the trade volume processed through these unofficial avenues could be 2 to 5 times larger than the official import and export figures.
Compared to other segments, B2B cross-border payment presents vast opportunities
In the cross-border payment industry, services can be categorised into four segments based on money flows:
Four segments in cross-border payment industry.
Marketplace 2B These businesses provide payment processing services for sellers on e-commerce platforms. Risk control is primarily based on e-commerce platform’s integrated of data streams (e.g., merchant details, logistics, transaction history). With relatively low technical barriers and compliance capabilities, the industry is highly saturated.
B2B Focused on traditional cross-border trade enterprises, this segment has huge potential but features high risk control complexity and high barriers. Payment service providers must individually verify the entire information flow pertaining to each transaction (including buyer/seller details, orders, logistics, contracts, etc.), which results in many companies attempting to enter, but few succeed.
C2C This primarily covers cross-border remittances between individuals. The overall market scale is relatively small, with limited use cases.
C2B This is the most well-established segment, dominated by cross-border payment giants such as Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, and Stripe. The market is saturated with intense competition.
As a reference, the C2B cross-border payment industry has evolved dramatically over the last five decades, especially in the past ten years. Mobile wallet providers in China, the U.S. and Europe drove the mobile payment revolution, establishing a well-established cross-border settlement and risk control platform dominated by card schemes and wallets like PayPal. The system features significant advantages, including efficient transaction processes and unified risk control standards.
In contrast, B2B cross-border payments still primarily rely on traditional bank transfers. The sector as a whole is still on the cusp of the “mobile payment revolution” and has not yet formed a unified clearing mechanism or a standardized risk control system.
The payment sector need a new platform.
However, this development gap also points to a huge market opportunity. The B2B cross-border settlement market for SMEs desperately needs a shake-up. Service providers that possess a deep understanding of global customer needs and are equipped with technological and compliance capabilities will unleash vast growth potential in this space.
Beyond Borders: XTransfer Insights is a thought-leadership series that shares XTransfer’s perspectives on the forces shaping global trade and financial services. Through research-driven insights and real-world observations, it highlights emerging trends, key challenges, and opportunities across international markets.
A sentencing in the Nelson District Court today [February 9] gives important health and safety lessons for when businesses are working together at the same workplace.
Maritime NZ Deputy Chief Executive Regulatory Operations, Deb Despard, says this is the ‘overlapping duties’ principle in the Health and Safety at Work Act. Importantly, while this case involved a fishing vessel, the lessons can apply to all industries covered by the Act, not only the maritime and ports sectors.
Maritime NZ prosecuted Sealord Group Limited after a crew member of the Sealord fishing vessel, Rehua, was trapped and crushed when a winch he was working on started unexpectedly. The crew member suffered serious chest injuries.
Sealord pled guilty to one charge under section 34 of the Act and was sentenced today.
The incident occurred on 4 June 2022, when Rehua was docked at Port of Nelson for planned maintenance. This included refitting its winch systems. Two other companies were also involved in the refit of the winches.
The Act makes each business responsible for carrying out their health and safety duties at the workplace, which in this case was the Rehua.
Business must also work together to manage safety (the Act says they consult, cooperate and coordinate activities). This is so they have shared understanding of the work and the risks, and agree who is best placed to manage safety.
It was reasonably practicable for Sealord to consult, cooperate with, and coordinate activities with the other businesses by ensuring:
· a toolbox talk involving all people working around or with the winch system, discussing the winch controls and a safe system of working that day took place
· there was clear communication of a safe system of work
· clear communication of training and supervision for the work involving the winch system.
“The lessons from this incident are being used to help keep others safe,” Ms Despard says.
“Maritime NZ is working with senior leaders in the industry through the Fishers’ Health and Safety Leadership Group, including Sealord, to progress initiatives together to prevent harm in the fishing sector.”
Maritime NZ is also sharing information about this case with the maritime and port sectors to increase knowledge of the Act and help prevent harm in future.
Editors’ note:
The Health and Safety at Work Act uses the term ‘person conducting a business or undertaking’ (PCBU). For ease of reading by the general public, Maritime NZ has referred to PCBUs as businesses in this media release. In this case the three PCBUs involved were businesses.
The Court ordered Sealord to pay $40,000 reparations to the injured crew member and imposed a fine of $12,950.
Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny turned the Super Bowl into a giant street party, delivering his hits on one of the world’s biggest stages – and becoming the first-ever halftime show headliner to sing only in Spanish.
Anticipation was high for the 31-year-old’s set, amid rampant speculation about whether he would use his platform to renew his criticism of President Donald Trump’s administration in front of tens of millions of viewers.
They also said it was “incredibly frustrating” given the bylaw restrictions on people under 15 driving boats.
The harbourmaster said they talked to the owner of the boat about the age limit and asked for an incident report.
“After consideration, the harbourmaster did not issue an infringement to the operator of the vessel (14-year-old). The harbourmaster took an educational approach and gave a warning.”
The rescue was marked by police first cancelling a chopper that was good to go, then almost half an hour later – after volunteer firefighters had motored out to look at the burning boat – calling it in to find the boy who had floated at least a kilometre away.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on February 9, 2026.
Forget grand plans. These small tweaks can add meaning to your life Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Trevor Mazzucchelli, Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology, Curtin University Quốc Bảo/Pexels The start of the year often comes with attempts at big life changes that we’re hoping will make us feel more grounded, fulfilled or in control. Maybe you’ve decided it’s time to change careers, move overseas
Rebuilding after a disaster is a long road. Lismore’s businesses offer hope for others Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dan Etheridge, Director, The Living Lab Northern Rivers, Office of Pro Vice Chancellor (Research and Education Impact), Southern Cross University “Right – flood’s on. Get ready.” That’s what Jody Cheetham has told her staff the last two times she’s watched the river rising, following after heavy rain
‘I wish I could fall asleep and never wake up’: even passive suicidal thoughts are a worry. Here’s how to respond Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maddison Crethar, PhD Candidate, Youth Mental Health, University of the Sunshine Coast Rian A. Saputro/Unsplash Suicide is the leading cause of death among Australians aged 15 to 49. Approximately one in eight Australians have seriously considered suicide. These numbers highlight why it’s crucial to understand the different
Outcry on Saipan after ‘Free Palestine’ mural vandalised – arrest made By Mark Rabago, RNZ Pacific Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas correspondent More than 11,000 km separate the Northern Mariana Islands from Gaza and Israel. But the conflict has landed sharply on Saipan after the vandalism of a “Free Palestine” mural has sparked community anger, an arrest, and a wider debate over free speech, protest, and
Why are new tea towels worse at drying dishes than older ones? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Van Amber, Senior Lecturer in Fashion & Textiles, RMIT University Anna Shvets/Pexels There’s a peculiar ritual in many kitchens: reaching past the crisp, pristine tea towel hanging on the oven door to grab the threadbare, slightly greying one shoved in the drawer. We all know that
Landslides are NZ’s deadliest natural hazard. Why does it still tolerate the risk? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tom Robinson, Senior Lecturer Above the Bar, University of Canterbury New Zealand Herald/Dean Purcell/Getty Images The recent deaths of eight people in two New Zealand landslides has left the public searching for answers. Some questions will be technical, about what failed and why. But one should surely
One Nation surges to new high as Coalition slumps to record low in latest Newspoll Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Newspoll, Redbridge and Morgan polls all have One Nation second behind Labor, with the Coalition third. However, there are no Labor vs One Nation two-party estimates. A
More Australians are international sports fans, especially the NFL. Are local leagues threatened? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Karg, Professor, Deakin University Australian sport fans have long shown interest in international leagues. Australian fans watch and stream the United States’ National Basketball Association (NBA) games at one of the highest rates outside of North America. When it comes to the US’ National Football League
Is Australia’s terrorism definition still fit for purpose? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Keiran Hardy, Associate Professor, Griffith Criminology Institute, Griffith University With the alleged attempted bombing at Perth’s Invasion Day protest now declared a terrorist act, the release of coronial findings into the Bondi Westfield stabbing, and ever-growing fears around hate crime and extremism, there’s a difficult question to
Why scrapping a key health promotion agency makes little economic sense Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jaithri Ananthapavan, Associate Professor in Health Economics, Deakin University Mariusz Zając/Pexels News the world’s first independent health promotion agency – Australia’s own VicHealth – is to be abolished has been called “incomprehensible” and “a disaster” that places democracy at risk. VicHealth is the agency that’s been behind
Big bills, ‘fur babies’ and administering a good death: reflecting on ethics in veterinary medicine Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Coghlan, Senior Lecturer in Digital Ethics; Deputy Director, Centre for AI and Digital Ethics, The University of Melbourne Mikhail Nilov/Pexels Vets are regularly accused of various failures: overcharging clients, neglecting patient care, and rushing pets and owners through appointments. Criticism can also come from vets themselves.
Worried AI means you won’t get a job when you graduate? Here’s what the research says Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lukasz Swiatek, Lecturer, School of Arts and Media, UNSW Sydney August De Richelieu/ Pexels The head of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva, has warned young people will suffer the most as an AI “tsunami” wipes out many entry-level roles in coming years. Tasks that are eliminated
How cutting the capital gains tax discount could help rebalance the housing market Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jago Dodson, Professor of Urban Policy and Director, Urban Futures Enabling Impact Platform, RMIT University Capital gains tax is once again the subject of parliamentary debate, with Treasurer Jim Chalmers declining to rule out options for reform. Along with negative gearing, the capital gains tax discount has
How watching videos of ICE violence affects our mental health Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Larissa Hjorth, Professor of Mobile Media and Games., RMIT University The recent murders of Minneapolis residents Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good are drawing renewed attention to the activities of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. While they are not the only people to have
Troops without a seat – the Gaza ‘Board of Peace’ and Fiji COMMENTARY: By Jim Sanday When peace is being designed, Fiji is not invited into the room. When peace needs enforcing, Fiji is asked to send soldiers. That uncomfortable reality is exposed by the emergence of US President Donald Trump’s so-called “Board of Peace” for Gaza. While New Zealand was formally invited to join the Board
View from The Hill: will disastrous Newspoll trigger Taylor challenge to Ley, despite Coalition patch-up? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Sussan Ley and David Littleproud on Sunday announced an 11th hour patch up of the federal Coalition that the Liberal leader hopes will hold off an early challenge from Angus Taylor. But on Sunday night it was doubtful whether re-forming
Herzog’s visit to Australia builds conflict not social cohesion By Wendy Bacon On the eve of his Australian tour, Israel’s President Isaac Herzog faces huge opposition to his visit. In a “National Day of Protest”, hundreds of thousands are expected to march in 30 cities around Australia, including every state capital city tomorrow evening. Herzog’s visit has been opposed by Green Party and several
A sentencing in the Nelson District Court today [February 9] gives important health and safety lessons for when businesses are working together at the same workplace.
Maritime NZ Deputy Chief Executive Regulatory Operations, Deb Despard, says this is the ‘overlapping duties’ principle in the Health and Safety at Work Act. Importantly, while this case involved a fishing vessel, the lessons can apply to all industries covered by the Act, not only the maritime and ports sectors.
Maritime NZ prosecuted Sealord Group Limited after a crew member of the Sealord fishing vessel, Rehua, was trapped and crushed when a winch he was working on started unexpectedly. The crew member suffered serious chest injuries.
Sealord pled guilty to one charge under section 34 of the Act and was sentenced today.
The incident occurred on 4 June 2022, when Rehua was docked at Port of Nelson for planned maintenance. This included refitting its winch systems. Two other companies were also involved in the refit of the winches.
The Act makes each business responsible for carrying out their health and safety duties at the workplace, which in this case was the Rehua.
Business must also work together to manage safety (the Act says they consult, cooperate and coordinate activities). This is so they have shared understanding of the work and the risks, and agree who is best placed to manage safety.
It was reasonably practicable for Sealord to consult, cooperate with, and coordinate activities with the other businesses by ensuring:
· a toolbox talk involving all people working around or with the winch system, discussing the winch controls and a safe system of working that day took place
· there was clear communication of a safe system of work
· clear communication of training and supervision for the work involving the winch system.
“The lessons from this incident are being used to help keep others safe,” Ms Despard says.
“Maritime NZ is working with senior leaders in the industry through the Fishers’ Health and Safety Leadership Group, including Sealord, to progress initiatives together to prevent harm in the fishing sector.”
Maritime NZ is also sharing information about this case with the maritime and port sectors to increase knowledge of the Act and help prevent harm in future.
Notes:
The Health and Safety at Work Act uses the term ‘person conducting a business or undertaking’ (PCBU). For ease of reading by the general public, Maritime NZ has referred to PCBUs as businesses in this media release. In this case the three PCBUs involved were businesses.
The Court ordered Sealord to pay $40,000 reparations to the injured crew member and imposed a fine of $12,950.
Remote and rural communities across New Zealand will soon benefit from improved access to emergency health care following a recent Pharmac funding decision.
From 1 March 2026, Pharmac will fund more treatments for use in community emergency care, ensuring that rural health practitioners, such as GPs and midwives, have access to the same emergency, trauma and pain medication as hospitals and ambulance services.
“Getting fast emergency care can be especially challenging for people living in rural areas of New Zealand, where ambulances can take longer to arrive and hospitals may be further away,” says Pharmac’s Director Strategy, Policy, and Performance Michael Johnson.
Previously, some trauma and emergency services in the community didn’t have access to the same funded medicines as Health NZ hospitals and ambulance services. This affected people’s ability to get the medicines they needed, when they needed them.
“This simple change will ensure people living in rural areas will have access to the same quality of emergency medical treatment as those living in major urban centres.
This will ensure rural health professionals have funded access to key medicines, that will reduce imbalances in health care that existed between city and country areas.
From 1 March the following medicines will be funded for use in community emergency care:
PRIME services: droperidol, glucose (5% 100 ml bag and 10% 500 ml bag) ketamine, methoxyflurane, intravenous tranexamic acid, and enoxaparin 100 mg.
Home births: intravenous tranexamic acid for postpartum haemorrhage.
“These medicines will be made available through Practitioner Supply Orders (PSO), enabling authorised health professionals to stock them in advance so they are available for emergency situations”, Johnson added.
Primary Response in Medical Emergency (PRIME) services are provided by specially trained GPs and nurses from rural general practice, who are first responders for trauma and medical emergencies in rural areas where ambulance services are not readily available.
Pharmac is also funding ketamine for uncontrollable pain in people receiving palliative care in their communities.
“Ketamine is currently funded for palliative care in hospitals, but not in the community,” says Johnson.
“Ketamine will be available by prescription or pre-stocked in rest homes and hospices so that people can get it when they need it,” Johnson says.
The start of the year often comes with attempts at big life changes that we’re hoping will make us feel more grounded, fulfilled or in control. Maybe you’ve decided it’s time to change careers, move overseas or run a marathon.
But lasting meaning rarely comes from dramatic reinvention. It’s shaped by what we do, consistently. Behavioural science tells us meaning is constructed one reinforcing action at a time.
In other words, meaning isn’t something you discover after a long search. It’s something you build, one small, worthwhile action after the other.
So how exactly does all this work? And what types of worthwhile actions are we talking about?
The meaning of meaning
In psychology, “meaning” refers to the sense that life is coherent, purposeful and connected to what you care about.
People who experience more meaning tend to report better wellbeing, lower stress and depression, and greater resilience when life becomes difficult.
When meaning is low, people can feel unanchored or adrift, even if nothing is going objectively “wrong”.
Life tends to feel meaningful when we spend time doing things that matter to us and that offer some sense of reward. This is not necessarily excitement, but a quiet feeling of “that was worth doing”. Helping a friend, learning something small, progressing a task, or sharing a moment of connection can all leave us more grounded and alive.
These experiences are examples of positive reinforcement – behaviours that give something back, such as energy, pride, satisfaction or connection. Over time, these small rewards strengthen the patterns that help life feel purposeful.
By contrast, when we mainly act to avoid discomfort – cancel plans, withdraw when anxious or overwhelmed, delay tasks that matter – we get a moment of relief, but lose access to the experiences that enrich life.
A more helpful pattern is to take small steps even when motivation is low. Sending the message, starting the job or stepping outside are small beginnings that often spark the satisfaction or hope we were waiting for.
Why one-off boosts don’t last
The hedonic treadmill helps explain why one-off, feel-good moments rarely create lasting meaning. Psychologists use this term to describe our tendency to quickly return to our usual emotional baseline after positive events.
We adapt quickly to pleasurable things and events: buying something new, ticking off a goal, going on a short holiday. A burnt-out worker might feel better after a weekend away, but the effect fades as soon as Monday returns.
Special moments are still valuable. They create memories and punctuate the year. But they don’t change our lives unless paired with small, consistent shifts in everyday routines, setting boundaries, and the ways we invest in our relationships.
Wellbeing is more stable when supported by a range of small, ongoing sources of reinforcement. If all your sense of purpose rests on work, one relationship, or a single pursuit – like sport – then stress in that single area can shake your wellbeing.
But when meaning draws on several domains – friendships, learning, creativity, physical activity, contribution, family, nature, spirituality – you have more points of stability.
The encouraging part is meaning doesn’t depend on perfect motivation or major life changes. It’s shaped by small behaviours you can start at any time.
So what actually works?
These three research-backed steps can help build more meaning into your life.
1. Look back before moving forward
Before setting goals, reflect on the previous year. Ask:
what am I proud of or grateful for?
what lifted my energy or sense of purpose?
what drained it?
what did I avoid that actually mattered?
This helps you recognise which behaviours, relationships and routines quietly sustained you, and where your portfolio may have become too narrow.
2. Pick two or three areas that matter to you
Meaningful change rarely comes from grand resolutions. A steadier approach is to choose two or three life areas that matter – improving health, deepening a relationship, learning something new, contributing to community life, or strengthening parenting routines – and identify one small, realistic action in each. The aim isn’t to overhaul everything, but to gently broaden your sources of reward.
Schedule only the first step: a short walk, reading a page, sending a message, writing a paragraph, practising for five minutes. Early on, the greatest achievement is simply starting, no matter how small.
Be kind to yourself. Illness, stress, fatigue and competing demands will disrupt your plans. What matters is returning, gently and repeatedly, to the behaviours that reflect who you want to be.
3. Arrange your environment so the right behaviours are easy
Use cues to help you start. Lay out walking clothes the night before, keep your journal on your pillow, put reminders where you’ll see them.
Reduce friction. Keep essentials in predictable places, move distractions out of sight and maintain a workable space. The goal is to make meaningful behaviour smooth and frustration-free.
Anchor new habits to old ones:
read a page before your morning coffee
stretch before checking emails
journal for three minutes before brushing your teeth.
These pairings shift the burden from willpower onto routine.
Trevor Mazzucchelli has received funding from the Australian Research Council and the National Health and Medical Research Council, and is a member of the Parenting and Family Research Alliance. His perspective is informed by his academic work as a clinical psychologist and researcher specialising in behaviour change, wellbeing and parenting. He has no financial conflicts related to this article and does not endorse any specific program, product or organisation.