NZ Engine

Source: Radio New Zealand

The increasing use of digital price tags could allow supermarkets to use AI algorithms and ‘dynamic pricing’ where prices change in real time, a competition researcher says.

The Government’s amendment to the Commerce Act, included increasing the Commerce Commission’s powers in combating predatory pricing , clarifying merger processes, and modernising the rules around new technologies, including AI.

But University of Sydney researcher Lisa Asher said while there was some positive moves in the bill, it would not address the use of AI algorithms for pricing. She said that could lead to price collusion and dynamic pricing.

You can hear more from Asher on Nine to Noon.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A leading member of the government’s inquiry into social media harm says New Zealand wants to be a ‘fast follower,’ not a leader.

Parliament’s Education and Workforce Committee has released its final report on the inquiry into the harm social media causes for young people, offering recommendations including banning under-16 year olds from social media.

The report found while New Zealand had multiple pieces of legislation related to online content regulation – such as the Harmful Digital Communications Act – there was no specific legislation regulating online platforms for user safety.

But committee acting chair National MP Carl Bates told Morning Report it was important that New Zealand followed the lead of other countries.

“We would look at what’s happening overseas, we would implement what’s working or what seems to be working, and recognise that if we follow in the footsteps of international changes it will be easier for international platforms and players to work with New Zealand in solving these problems,” he said.

All the review’s recommendations should be taken “in the context of New Zealand being a fast follower rather than trying to lead the way internationally” to try and solve some of these issues, he said.

He said the platforms themselves were offered the opportunity to give feedback.

“There was a range of feedback that came from the platforms, we heard their view on how they’re addressing to solve the online challenges that occur for both young New Zealanders and New Zealanders alike,” he said.

“However, we clearly as a committee felt that could go further and the recommendations reflect that.”

Bates said the recommendations were wide-ranging.

“The key recommendations were across a range of things, to make the point that this isn’t about solving online harm by doing one thing,” he said.

“The social media ban for under-16 year olds is part of that, but it also talked about banning ‘nudify apps’ and considering the regulation of algorithmic transparency by online platforms, establishing a national regulator.”

Those ‘nudify apps’ used AI deepfake technology to generate fake naked images of a person from a photograph or video, and were a particular concern for the committee.

“Another part is regulating deepfake technology, but it requires a flexible regulatory approach. That’s why part of the recommendations of the committee recognise that an online regulator needs to be able to be responsive to the changes in technology over time,” Bates said.

“One of the recommendations is to review the legislative framework we have in New Zealand because clearly that was created in a time that these apps and this online technology didn’t exist, so there is an absolute need to update the legislative framework.

“And the report also says regulation would send a clear signal that New Zealand is open to the beneficial uses of AI generated content, such as the cat and the piano maybe, but does not accept that being developed without a very real regard to the harm they can cause.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Oil costs are contributing to “off the charts” freight prices and it is only a matter of time before it flows on to consumers, a logistics boss says.

The war in Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route carrying about 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment said, as of Sunday, New Zealand had 25 days’ supply of diesel in country and 29 days more on its way.

Mainfreight managing director Don Braid told Morning Report that New Zealanders could expect price increases to petrol, diesel, freight and international travel in coming weeks.

He said he expected to see an impact in fuel pricing soon which would flow through to freight, passenger air travel and anything that has fuel attached to it.

There had been significant disruptions to air and sea freight, he said.

“In terms of sea freight, whilst ports are operating within the area we’re not seeing any vessels transiting through there … so that’s adding time to transit and in terms of cost as well.

“Not so much as you would think for New Zealand and Australian exporters because we can rout across Asia or for that matter across the USA, it’s for that freight that has to transit via the Middle East.”

The situation it was “just a part of every day life in logistics” as they had to deal with issues such as earthquakes, wars and floods, he said.

Braid said he had already seen diesel prices lift.

“We are being told to expect further increases in terms of diesel and that will be impacting our operations around the world, unfortunately we will have to pass that through.”

The longer term worry would be if this war did not end quickly, he said.

Asked whether he had confidence in New Zealand’s fuel supply situation, Braid said the closing of Marsden Point refinery meant New Zealand had to rely on other countries.

“Jet fuel I think is 24 days that is being held currently, those are the things we wouldn’t want to see become an issue. So yes it worries us, but we’ve been able to get through all sorts of other catastrophes and events of late, so we’ll have our fingers crossed and just get on and do the job,” he said.

“We are being told by those fuel companies that we shouldn’t worry about supplies, so therefore I don’t see a need for panic but I do expect us to see an increase in pricing.”

Any price increases would flow through to freight, passenger air travel and anything that had fuel attached, he 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

University student Piki Wang has inspected 20 apartments in central Auckland since January, carefully checking living spaces for signs of dampness, pouring through recent utility bills to get a rough idea of monthly costs and assessing building security.

But Wang is not looking for an apartment for herself – she has been hired to inspect the property by fellow students located thousands of kilometres away in China.

Armed with smartphone gimbals and WeChat video calls, the 23-year-old works as a “proxy viewer” – part of a growing, pay-per-view microeconomy on social media platform RedNote.

Remote property inspectors such as Wang are helping to plug a housing gap that many international tertiary students are increasingly facing.

With university accommodation oversubscribed, many incoming students are pushed into a private rental market that is difficult to navigate from abroad.

Students from China face additional hurdles due to the “great firewall of China”, which makes it difficult – if not impossible – to do proper due diligence when searching for a private apartment.

It’s an issue that Yixin Fan, a first-year student at the University of Auckland, encountered firsthand.

“The main problem isn’t knowing what kind of house to look for, but how to find one in the first place,” Fan said.

International students typically receive official offers to attend courses and subsequent visas only a few weeks before the semester starts, which leaves many searching for private accommodation in a scramble.

Fan, 18, attempted to find accommodation through Trade Me but kept coming up against requests from prospective landlords for local credit histories, references and mandatory in-person viewings.

Locked out of inspections, Fan hired a proxy viewer – a decision he says ultimately spared him from renting a poorly ventilated converted storage space.

The barriers Fan faced in his search have expanded a remote viewer’s role beyond simple inspections.

While they are primarily hired to assess properties, Wang said offshore students often relied on her for basic guidance on how renting works in New Zealand, from application processes to setting up utilities and so forth after arrival.

University accommodation shortage

University accommodation in Auckland is in high demand, with capacity limited each year.

Auckland University of Technology manages around 900 beds.

The University of Auckland manages about 4500 beds, but international students only make up around 8 percent of residents in its first-year halls.

As demand outstrips supply, many students are locked out.

Anby Zhou, a committee member of the Chinese Postgraduate Society, said some students in China had set alarms so they could apply the moment applications opened.

However, she said, many still missed out.

Both universities state they provide housing support through websites, orientation programmes and agency referrals.

While the University of Auckland recommends its own halls for a supported transition, Auckland University of Technology supplies a non-endorsed list of off-campus apartments.

However, student advocates say these largely static resources offer limited practical guidance for offshore searches.

Left without a dedicated, interactive channel to navigate the private rental market, many new arrivals either absorb the cost of transitional hotels or scour social media platforms for alternative options.

Such alternative options can easily be found on RedNote.

The social media platform’s open system allows unlicensed brokers and tenants looking to sublet a portion of their lease – many operating from overseas IP addresses – to flood the platform with listings and charge opaque fees.

Agents in New Zealand offering remote viewing services are also using the platform to find potential clients.

Fan says he was contacted by seven or eight agents during his search for accommodation, facing rental and service fees of around 780 yuan (approximately $175) per match.

Wang paid a similar 800-yuan fee to an offshore agent when securing her first Auckland apartment.

Dispute resolution

From time to time, incoming students who have secured private accommodation from abroad before travelling to New Zealand find an issue with the property upon arrival.

Zhou recalled cases in which offshore students signed leases based on misleading photos, only to find the properties unlivable upon arrival.

Excessive noise from neighbours and poor security are also common complaints.

In such disputes, students who have typically paid a bond to secure the property can find themselves in a bind.

The Real Estate Authority confirmed it had limited jurisdiction over domestic property managers and virtually no authority over unlicensed offshore brokers.

Students in private rental accommodation were instead advised to contact the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s Tenancy Services, although anyone who had signed a sub-lease arrangement also faced additional vulnerabilities.

Paul Coggan, manager of tenancy practice and stewardship at MBIE, said provisions of the Residential Tenancies Act could apply to subleases, even in cases where agreements were informal or bonds paid through overseas apps such as WeChat.

However, he said, there was a catch.

If the person who had signed the original tenancy agreement lived in the same property, those who have signed the sublease were typically classified as a “flatmate” – meaning the protections of the Residential Tenancies Act might not apply.

And even where tenancy regulations do apply, recovering money from landlords, property managers or fellow leaseholders is often difficult.

Landlords are legally required to lodge all bonds with Tenancy Services within 23 working days, but this step is frequently ignored by unlicensed brokers.

If a student arrives to find conditions uninhabitable, Tenancy Services says there is “no immediate way for a tenant to terminate their fixed-term tenancy”.

The only legal option was to lodge a complaint with the Tenancy Tribunal.

However, many international students are unable to wait weeks for a Tenancy Tribunal hearing, leaving them with no option but to vacate the property, forfeiting their bond entirely.

Universities acknowledge the existence of this parallel rental market, although their guidance remains focused on official options.

Auckland University of Technology said it was aware of incoming students requesting inspections by proxy and social media platforms to find accommodation.

However, the university maintained its advice, encouraging students to “directly interact and connect with official accommodation services and property management agencies”.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Former MP Jackie Blue has resigned her National Party membership and joined The Opportunity Party.

Blue was a member of the cross-party People’s Select Committee on Pay Equity.

She says the government’s handling of the Equal Pay Amendment Act 2025 was her “breaking point”.

Blue will join Opportunity to mentor new leader Qiulae Wong.

She is praising Wong for having the courage to enter “the nasty business of politics”.

More to come…

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