Energy Minister Simon Watts says the Government is taking decisive action to ensure Kiwis get a fair deal on electricity by strengthening the Electricity Authority.
“Kiwis are feeling the pressure of high power bills. The Government is moving quickly to fix this by strengthening the Electricity Authority, which oversees the electricity market and makes sure power companies play by the rules,” Mr Watts says.
“The Government has agreed to amend the Electricity Industry Act to give the Electricity Authority real teeth, providing it with the tools it needs to maintain a fair and competitive market.”
The changes will:
Increase penalties for serious rule-breaking from a maximum of $2 million to up to $10 million, or three times the commercial gain, or 10% of a company’s turnover.
Introduce instant infringement fines (up to $2000) for more minor, repeated breaches.
Improve the Authority’s ability to update rules and monitor the market, thereby boosting competition and protecting consumers.
Higher penalties will be in place in 2027, with the new infringement system starting in 2026. These tools match what the Commerce Commission already uses.
“These changes will mean power companies will face real consequences if they try to take advantage of customers or distort the market,” Mr Watts says.
“New Zealanders struggling with high power bills deserve an electricity market that works for them, not against them.
“A stronger, more effective regulator will help keep prices fair, encourage competition, and give families and businesses more confidence that they’re not being overcharged.”
The changes come at a crucial time for the energy system as the Government works to tackle high power prices, manage dry-year risk, and ensure the country has a reliable energy supply.
Since announcing the Energy Package in October, the Government has:
Commenced the first stage of the procurement process for an LNG facility to provide New Zealand wither greater security of supply.
Assessed new energy projects under the Fast Track Approvals process which will increase supply and unlock investment in new generation.
Started work on a new regulatory framework to prevent dry-year shortages that drive up prices.
“These steps are about making sure New Zealand has the affordable, abundant, reliable energy our economy needs,” Mr Watts says.
“It’s critical to have strong leadership at the Electricity Authority to ensure it can support the market to deliver abundant and affordable energy.”
The Government has agreed to the appointment of new members to the Electricity Authority Board including:
Erik Westergaard as Deputy Chair
Anthony Baldwin
Benjamin Bolot
Murray Parrish
“These appointments bring significant experience across energy markets and industry reform. They will help ensure the Electricity Authority is well equipped to deliver better outcomes for consumers,” Mr Watts says.
“I’d also like to acknowledge and thank the outgoing Chair, Anna Kominik, and outgoing members Lana Stockman and Dr Cristiano Marantes for their service.
“With a stronger regulator, clearer rules, and more investment in energy security, we are laying the foundation for lower prices, more competition, and a more reliable electricity system.
“Our focus is simple: making sure the energy system works for New Zealand households, businesses, and industry.”
Headline: Top Auckland Web Design Agencies 2026 Review
Kiwi Web Design has released its updated Top Web Design Agencies in Auckland guide for 2026. The independently reviewed list evaluates leading Auckland agencies based on recent work, market activity, and suitability for small and medium-sized businesses. The guide is not sponsored and is intended to help business owners compare web design options more confidently.
US President Donald Trump.AFP / Getty Images North America / Kevin Dietsch
US President Donald Trump has announced a 25 percent on any country that does business with the Islamic Republic of Iran.
“Effective immediately, any Country doing business with the Islamic Republic of Iran will pay a Tariff of 25% on any and all business being done with the United States of America. This Order is final and conclusive,” he said on X.
“Effective immediately, any Country doing business with the Islamic Republic of Iran will pay a Tariff of 25% on any and all business being done with the United States of America. This Order is final and conclusive….” – PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP pic.twitter.com/UQ1ylPezs9
“Effective immediately, any Country doing business with the Islamic Republic of Iran will pay a Tariff of 25% on any and all business being done with the United States of America. This Order is final and conclusive….” – PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP pic.twitter.com/UQ1ylPezs9
When I first moved back to Australia after years living in Spain, I brought home an unexpected skill: how to hang out with friends without spending money.
Cash was tight while abroad, and most of my circle couldn’t afford regular fancy dinners or big nights out, so we learnt to get creative — and often had more fun.
Here’s how I’ve kept those low-cost, high-fun habits alive for years, even after returning home to a city where socialising often seems to mean shelling out.
What if you could get a shopping buzz without blowing the budget? RNZ podcast Thrift meets three Christchurch friends doing just that.
Learning the art of frugal fun in Spain
I didn’t deliberately set out to live frugally when I moved to Spain in 2013. But, having just launched my own business, work was patchy and I wanted to conserve my savings nest egg.
Plus, Spain was in the grip of a long-running property crash and recession. A quarter of the country was unemployed, and many were under-employed — including most of my friends.
So, we got inventive. We’d meet at the beach with a cheap bottle of wine and our ukuleles and play together until sundown. Or carpool to a nearby mountain range and hike for the day with backpacks full of sandwiches.
To celebrate my 30th birthday, I threw a simple party at home with dozens of origami paper swans hanging from the ceiling — decorations we’d spent a fun afternoon hand-folding together.
Spain also has a brilliant culture of “third spaces” — areas beyond work and home, such as town squares, public plazas and street benches, where people of all ages gather to socialise late into the evening.
Because none of us had much disposable income, few ever proposed expensive plans. Our focus was usually on spending time together, rather than money.
Bringing it home to Australia
When I moved back home to Tarntanya (Adelaide) in late 2017, the cost of living came as a shock after Spain’s comparatively cheap food and rent prices.
Catching up with old friends, the default almost always involved forking out — coffee dates, dinners out, drinks at a bar. All fun things to do, but a strain on my meagre budget.
So, I started suggesting alternatives, such as:
Walks instead of brunch
Pot-luck dinners at home instead of restaurants
Visits to free exhibitions, music and art installations
Trips out of the city to forage edible weeds
Rummage sessions at op shops and thrift stores
Koren Helbig enjoys helping her friends make wicking beds in their backyard.
ABC/Koren Helbig
Sometimes I’d explain that I was trying to save a bit, but mostly I’d frame it as wanting to do more creative things and see more of our city. If I ever ran out of ideas, I’d turn back to my well-thumbed copy of The Art of Frugal Hedonism.
Pretty much everyone was immediately on board. Many friends were quietly feeling the same pinch and were happy to save a buck or two.
Free book clubs and music nights
Eight years on — and now with a solo mortgage to my name — prioritising thrifty fun has become even more crucial to balancing the budget while actively nurturing a solid friendship circle.
For example, I take a weekly dawn beach walk with my best friend. It’s locked into our calendars on repeat, and unless someone is dramatically ill, we walk — rain, hail or shine.
Three other friends and I gather on the last Wednesday of each month for music nights, sharing dinner and tinkering with simple song covers and harmonies. ‘Permablitz’ gardening working bees have also brought mates together.
And, every two months, my book club meets. We borrow library book club sets for free instead of buying our own copies and take turns hosting with plenty of snacks. That set-up has kept eight of us connected for almost five years.
My friend Nat takes this idea even further, organising regular “permaculture skill-share weekends” with like-minded Tasmanian folk who gather for free peer-to-peer learning on anything from verge gardening and bicycle maintenance to yoga, mending and wood carving.
The upshot of all this — beyond coin saved — is reduced consumerism and therefore a lower environmental impact.
Koren Helbig counts book club as one of her cost-free connections with friends.
ABC/Supplied
Finding balance between saving and splurging
Of course, I still splash out now and then on tickets to the theatre or a gig, the occasional dinner out or a weekend getaway.
All this feels more manageable because, by consuming less as my default, I have more dosh for the things I truly value.
Spending less also helps me afford a four-day work week — giving me more time for hanging out with friends and family.
Making time is part of the challenge, but in today’s cash-strapped economy, finding the money is too.
Turns out I can ease the pinch of both by prioritising frugally fun ways to cut back without cutting out connection.
Koren Helbig is a freelance journalist and sustainable city living educator who practices permaculture and grows organic food in the backyard of her small urban Tarntanya/Adelaide home.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
A person has been arrested at a protest outside the Iranian Embassy in Wellington.
About 40 people have been chanting, calling for the removal of the Iranian regime and for the Crown Prince Reze Pahlavi to be installed as Shah.
RNZ/Mark Papalii
Many there say they have family back in Iran who they haven’t heard from in four or five days since the government shut down internet and phone services.
One man climbed up to erect a pre-revolution Iranian flag, but this was removed by someone from inside the embassy.
RNZ/Mark Papalii
At least 10 police have been keeping access to the road open on the narrow road in Wellington’s Hataitai as the protest continues.
The crowd has a loudhailer and has been chanting since about 10am.
RNZ/Mark Papalii
More to come…
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Fisheries New Zealand is warning poachers that we will prosecute anyone stealing from our shared resources.
This follows action taken by fishery officers in the Eastern Bay of Plenty who’ve caught several people over summer with hundreds of green lipped mussels, some of them taken from a closed area.
In November 2024, a 2-year closure was placed over an area of Ōhiwa Harbour to the harvest of mussels. Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa requested the closure, Te rāhui kuku ki tua o Kanawa, to provide support for their traditional rāhui and boost an area of the harbour where mussel beds have been reseeded.
Fisheries New Zealand district manager Gisborne/Whakatāne Jordan Cooper says it’s disappointing to find people taking green lipped mussels from an area that was closed to rebuild mussel beds.
“People who disregard and break these rules are slowing this progress and we will continue to closely patrol the area and take action. Over the past month fishery officers in Whakatāne stopped a person who had 779 green lipped mussels – taken from the closed part of Ōhiwa Harbour.
“Other people who had their catch inspected were found with 92 green lipped mussels taken from the closed area and another person with 154 green lipped mussels taken from an open area. It’s likely some of these people will be prosecuted.”
For green lipped mussels in open areas, the daily limit per person is 50.
In addition to the green lipped mussel offending, another group of fishers who had their catch inspected were found with 2,771 pipi they had taken from an open area of Ōhiwa Harbour. The daily limit for harvesting pipi is 150 per person.
“We seized their fishing vessel and prosecution is likely. When we find evidence of fishing rules being deliberately broken – we will take action,” says Jordan Cooper.
Anyone planning to go recreational fishing should download the free NZ Fishing Rules mobile app. Once downloaded, it will work in areas without mobile coverage and provide the latest rules, including closures and gear restrictions for all areas.
Each year the games industry reaches new highs and 2026 is no exception. With the release of long-awaited sequels like GTA VI and new exciting titles like Marvels Wolverine, gamers are spoiled for choice this year.
While gamers might once have fought battles in far off galaxies or gone head-to-head against marauding hordes of zombies, a new generation of gamer is quite content to drive a truck through Europe or run a bookshop.
After the the success of the Marvel’s Spider-Man video game series, comic book fans and gamers are excited for developer Insomniac Games to take a crack at the beloved comic book character, Wolverine. First announced four years ago, the gameplay trailer was the highlight of last year’s Playstation State of Play.
Wolverine is a change of pace from the friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man, and it seems Insomniac has captured the dark and gritty tone of his story. His berserker rage, rapid healing and classic adamantium claws feature in some brutally cinematic combat that won’t be suitable for all ages. It’s also exciting to see writer Walt Williams, known for the compelling narrative of Spec Ops: The Line, a game that wonderfully makes players question their morality, contributing to the story of this iconic anti-hero.
The game will likely include heroes and villains from the X-Men universe like Mystique, Omega Red and the Sentinels. Gamers are rightfully concerned that creating a compelling gameplay loop around an immortal protagonist is challenging, and I can’t wait to see how Insomniac will tackle it.
Release Date: 2026, Platform: PlayStation 5.
Control Resonant
This video is hosted on Youtube.
Control Resonant is the sequel to Remedy Entertainment’s multi-award-winning Control. In this game, you play as Dylan Faden, the brother of the previous game’s protagonist.
Dylan has spent years in confinement at the hands of the Federal Bureau of Control (FBC), a US government body that investigates world altering supernatural events. The game begins as his former captors deploy him at the peak of a supernatural crisis in Manhattan that defies nature, physics, and reality.
Using Dylan’s new powers and a shape-shifting weapon that can switch between dual blades and a giant hammer, you must fight creatures created by the corrupting Hiss, invasive micro-organisms called the Mold, and other para-natural threats.
Players have some influence over how the story progresses; each pathway influences how he grows, changing the playstyle accordingly. This sequel pivots the gameplay from a third person shooter to an action hack and slash adventure. The change of gameplay makes it suitable for new and returning players. Check out the announcement trailer during last year’s Game Awards which showcases an expansive game world, stunning graphics and a soundtrack that gave me chills.
Release Date: 2026, Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, Windows.
Phantom Blade 0
This video is hosted on Youtube.
Developed by the Beijing based studio, S-Game’s debut title, Phantom Blade 0 is a highly anticipated action-adventure role playing wuxia (a popular Chinese genre of historical fantasy focused on martial arts) game. Dubbed “Kungfupunk” by director Soulframe Liang, it features a unique aesthetic that combines steampunk, cyberpunk with traditional Kungfu.
In this game you play as an assassin named Soul, who’s on the run after being framed for killing his master, the patriarch of an organisation called The Order. Soul has 66 days to unravel the conspiracy and clear his name while being hunted by his former comrades.
The game draws inspiration from old-school wuxia cinema, with combat rooted in classic Chinese martial art philosophy. It’s a unique genre of action game with elements from soulslike and hack-n-slash games, with combat design that weaves traditional martial arts with cyberpunk and steam punk elements.
The director’s passion in every interview has me pumped for Phantom Blade 0. I hope they can deliver on their vision and create an experience that feels like you’re in a classic Kungfu movie. If not for GTA VI, this would’ve been my most anticipated game of 2026.
Release Date: 9 Sep 2026 Platform: Windows, PlayStation 5
GTA VI
This video is hosted on Youtube.
The sequel to the epic open-world crime adventure with iconic gameplay, sharp humour and social commentary was delayed to late 2026. Slated to be the game of 2025, it only fueled the running joke that it would never be released. We now have an official release date, and fans are itching to taste what Rockstar has spent over a billion dollars and 10 years cooking.
The second trailer shows us a Bonnie and Clyde dynamic between the protagonist duo Jason and Luci. Partners in love and crime, fresh out of prison, starting off a new chapter in their life. We can also expect more of the rich, vibrant game world setting of Vice City (fictional Florida) and glimpses of some epic and exciting action sequences. There’s a whole new cast of characters on the game’s website that seem well fleshed out and eerily similar to pop culture icons of the last decade.
Much of what we know comes from insider info, leaks, and speculation. Given Rockstar’s track record with GTA and Red Dead Redemption, the billion-dollar question is: will it live up to the hype and dominate gaming and pop culture like all its prequels?
Release Date: 19 November 2026, Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S (Windows TBD).
Rockstar Games’ GTA VI artwork with character Jason and Lucia.
Rockstar Games
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Weak sales were still cited as the chief constraint on businesses.RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King
Business confidence improves to highest level since March 2014
Net 39 percent expect economic improvement vs +17 pct in September survey
Businesses report better demand, plan to invest and hire more.
Inflation pressures contained around 3 pct, expected to gradually decline
Survey suggests annual growth around 1.4 pct, RBNZ to hold interest rates steady
Business sentiment rebounded strongly at the end of last year, with firms reporting improved sales and planning to hire staff and increase investment.
The Institute of Economic Research’s (NZIER) closely followed Quarterly Business Survey for the three months ended December showed a net 39 percent of respondents believed economic conditions would get better in coming months, compared to a net 17 percent in the December survey.
“There is a turnaround in demand, with lower interest rates finally gaining traction,” NZIER principal economist Christina Leung said.
Weak sales were still cited as the chief constraint on businesses, but the pressures were easing, with only 3 percent reporting lower sales in the quarter.
Expectations were for improved growth in the coming quarter, with a net 23 percent forecasting a lift in their own business – up from 10 percent in the previous quarter.
Leung said businesses were increasingly feeling confident about investing in plants and machinery and hiring more stuff.
NZIER principal economist Christina Leung.ABC News
“Firms increased staff numbers and are feeling more positive about hiring in the next quarter.”
However, she said there were signs that firms were finding it more difficult to find skilled staff in the manufacturing and construction sectors, which could point to future labour shortages.
She said inflation pressures were contained with fewer firms expecting higher costs and also fewer expecting to have to raise their prices, which indicated inflation gradually falling back to the middle of the Reserve Bank’s 1-3 percent target band.
Leung said the survey indicated the economy was recovering but the increase in growth was likely to be slower than previously thought, with annual growth about 1.4 percent.
“With demand starting to recover but inflation remaining contained, we expect no further OCR cuts in this monetary policy cycle.”
“We forecast the OCR to trough at 2.25 percent until the Reserve Bank.. commences increasing the OCR in the second half of 2026,” Leung said.
The manufacturing sector was the most optimistic of respondents, followed by service industries.
The method has had promising outcomes overseas.AFP / Thom Leach / Science Photo Library
The founder of the Bergen four-day treatment for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) says the intensive process achieves better results than more drawn-out treatments.
The method has had promising outcomes overseas and is now being trialled here by a group of 17 New Zealanders aged 18- to 25-years-old.
Dr Bjarne Hansen told RNZ the condition was characterised by intrusive thoughts of dangers or bad things happening that sufferers must attempt to control.
“You’re afraid of your own thoughts and end up in endless efforts to try to control your thoughts and keep people safe,” Hansen said.
Hansen said four-year follow-ups with patients who had used the treatment overseas had shown up to 70 percent moving on with no significant symptoms.
He said treating people with the mental disorder when they were young reduced the prolonged impact of the condition on sufferers as well as health systems.
“It’s highly stable and people would most often suffer this 10, 20, 30 years later – if they don’t get the right kind of treatment – so it makes sense to start with young people,” Hansen said.
It’s hoped the process could be a game-changer for the nearly 100,000 New Zealanders who suffer from OCD.
Hansen said focusing the treatment over a continuous four-day program allowed patients a better opportunity to disrupt the disorder.
“If you have 45 minutes once a week – even for years – you will not have enough time to really recognise and break this pattern so having full four days is actually giving you more time to recognise, to change and get the support you need to change this pattern,” Hansen said.
Hansen said he was buoyed by the support of medical research charity Open Closed Doors and the interest shown in the treatment in New Zealand.
“We have had so many excellent collaborators in New Zealand. Yesterday we had a full day of training here and the opposition spokesperson for mental health, Ingrid Leary did participate the full day – being so interested and supportive of this work.
“So I really think that – with the people you have here – all the patients, the professionals, politicians being involved I think [New Zealand] can really make this happen and make this available to more people,” Hansen said.
Co-founder of Open Closed Doors, Megan Jones said her organisation had been looking at different ways to treat OCD.
She said five experts had travelled to New Zealand to train clinicians here while another five psychologists had also travelled to Singapore to train in the process.
“At present, many people living with this condition are struggling to get any treatment at all and the average wait time for diagnosis here is about seven years. This is going to make a huge impact,” Jones said.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Singer, songwriter and composer Bret McKenzie will perform two shows in April in support of his latest album, Freak Out City.
The Flight of the Conchords star will put on one set at Meow Nui in Wellington on 2 April followed by an Auckland show at The Hollywood on 5 April.
McKenzie will perform songs from his latest album as well as favourites from across his career.
Following his 2022 debut solo album Songs Without Jokes, he released Freak Out City in mid-2025.
Freak Out City was recorded in both Los Angeles – with a session band made up of friends McKenzie met working on films – and New Zealand, with his local eight-piece band The State Highway Wonders.
Like many songs on the new album, McKenzie wrote ‘All I Need’ – a love song about his wife, Hannah – at night after his kids were asleep, he told RNZ’s Saturday Morning ahead of the album’s release last year.
“It’s funny. We’ve been together a long time, so like anyone who’s been married a long time, you have days where you love each other more than others. And that’s one I wrote on one of those really good days.
“I sat down at the piano and the chorus just sort of fell out, just dropped down… The flow sort of wrote itself.”
Tickets go on sale 16 January at 9am via ticketek.co.nz.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand