Source: New Zealand Police
Emergency services are at the scene of a serious single-vehicle crash on the Southwestern Motorway, northbound, between the Onehunga Harbour Rd on-ramp and the Queenstown Rd off-ramp.
Traffic management is in place.
Motorists should avoid the area or expect delays.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
Source: NZ Music Month takes to the streets
The Government is amending the Equal Pay Act [the Act] to make the process of raising and resolving pay equity claims more robust, workable and sustainable, Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden announced today.
Pay equity is achieved when women and men are paid the same for work that is different but of equal value: for example, care and support workers and mental health assistants perform work that is different but is of equal value.
“It is clear the current Act is not working as intended, and amendments made by the previous government in 2020 have created issues. Claims have been able to progress without strong evidence of undervaluation and there have been very broad claims where it is difficult to tell whether differences in pay are due to sex-based discrimination or other factors.
“The Government is committed to addressing these issues. The new and improved pay equity system will provide greater confidence that genuine pay equity issues will be correctly identified and addressed.
“New Zealand’s pay equity regime is an outlier internationally. The Act allows employees and unions to bargain a pay equity settlement with multiple employers. In most countries we compare ourselves to, people raise pay equity claims against their own employer only, or there are legal requirements on employers to proactively take steps to achieve pay equity,” says Ms van Velden.
Pay equity claims have been concentrated in the public sector, with a recent increase in the number of claims in the publicly funded sector. Costs to the Crown have become significant, with the costs of all settlements to date totalling $1.78 billion per year.
“These changes will mean the pay equity claim process is workable and sustainable. There are often significant costs involved with pay equity settlements which can involve large workforces [e.g. around 94,000 people for the teachers claim] and we need to ensure the process to raise and resolve claims is robust.
“The changes I am proposing will significantly reduce costs to the Crown,” says Ms van Velden.
There will be a better framework and guidance for parties to use to assess whether there is sex-based undervaluation. These changes include:
The changes will discontinue current pay equity claims, but new claims can be raised under the amended Act if they meet the new requirements. Review clauses in existing settlements will become unenforceable. Settled claims can be re-raised 10 years after settlement, if the claim meets the new requirements.
The changes are reflected in a Bill introduced today and going through Parliament under urgency, which will amend the Equal Pay Act and take effect the day after Royal assent.
Source: Police investigating after shots fired at Hastings house
Date: 06 May 2025
“The most-loved experiences during peak times such as the holidays tend to book up quickly, but there’s plenty to choose from across the network,” DOC Heritage and Visitor Director Catherine Wilson says.
DOC has upgraded its booking system ready for Great Walks 2025/26 bookings, which open from 15 May 2025.
Catherine Wilson says people booking Great Walks will notice some changes this year.
“We’ve introduced a new industry-leading lobby system, similar to those used by concert-booking companies, so customers have a smoother experience, and we can better manage the very high demand when bookings first open.”
Catherine Wilson says the opening dates for all facilities are staggered between 13 May to 4 June to give people making multiple bookings a better chance of securing their preferred slot.
“We’ve re-shuffled the booking schedule* to balance demand across the weeks so the Kepler, Heaphy and Rakiura Great Walks open first on Wednesday 15 May, and the exceptionally popular Milford Track will open last on Wednesday 28 May.
“While the most popular Great Walks such as Milford and Routeburn book out very fast on the day, there are often cancellations so it’s worth keeping an eye on the booking website. Other experiences, such as Abel Tasman and Heaphy have more capacity and don’t generally book out on opening day.”
On opening morning, users logging into their DOC account will be redirected to the lobby and assigned a number. At 9.30 am the queue will start to move steadily into the booking system.
“We continue to ask users to be patient when booking. New Zealand’s Great Walks face massive demand with close to 100,000 people booking a Great Walk annually, 35% of whom are international visitors,” says Catherine Wilson.
“We’re lucky to have stunning mountains, forests, beaches, parks, lakes and rivers on our doorstep, and incredible tracks, huts and campsites for people to enjoy them.”
The Great Walks vary in their length, challenge, and the necessary skills and fitness required. Walkers are encouraged to read about the options on DOC’s website and pick the Great Walk best suited to their skills and experience.
As part of regular price reviews, customers may notice price increases at some facilities next season.
Price increases range between 5-15% for the Milford, Routeburn, Kepler, Abel Tasman Coast Track, and Paparoa Great Walks and several high-demand huts and cottages. Some of DOC’s standard and serviced campsites have increased by $3-$5 per person per night.
User charges contribute to the running costs of DOC’s recreation network, Catherine Wilson says.
“User fees are an increasingly important tool for improving the financial sustainability of the visitor network.
“New Zealand has a huge variety of DOC facilities with price points for all budgets. Just make sure you book huts, campsites, and cottages early to secure popular dates and times,” says Catherine Wilson.
For information on DOC’s pricing changes and to book, visit DOC huts, campsites and cottages.
Bookings for Tongariro Northern Circuit are on hold while DOC assesses plans for replacing Oturere Hut.
To book the Hump Ridge Track visit . Bookings can be made anytime. The Hump Ridge Track’s walking season is 25 October 2024 to 21 April 2025.
For media enquiries contact:
Email: media@doc.govt.nz
Source: New Zealand Super Fund
Average annual returns of 10.03 percent after costs over the past 20 years make the New Zealand Superannuation Fund the world’s best-performing sovereign wealth fund, according to international sovereign wealth fund experts GlobalSWF.
GlobalSWF’s annual rankings compare the performance of 13 sovereign wealth funds and 37 pension funds from 18 countries across five continents. The NZ Super Fund’s returns for the 20 years to 30 June 2024 were well ahead of the average returns for both sovereign wealth funds (6.4 percent) and pension funds (6.8 percent).
The NZ Super Fund was also the top performing sovereign wealth fund during the past decade, with an average annualised return of 10.33 percent after costs.
NZ Super Fund CEO Jo Townsend said that over the past 20 years the Fund had significantly outperformed long-term performance expectations.
“In part, that reflects how well global equities, which presently make up about 60 percent of the Fund’s assets, have performed during that time. In addition, our active investment strategies have also outperformed both our Reference Portfolio benchmark and our long-term performance expectations,” Ms Townsend said.
Ms Townsend said the Guardians’ active investment strategies were designed to capitalise on its competitive advantages as an institutional investor, particularly its long investment horizon, operational independence, and clear and effective governance structure.
Ms Townsend said maintaining long-term, growth-oriented investment strategies through multiple market ups and downs had been central to the success of the NZ Super Fund.
The NZ Super Fund has $8 billion invested in New Zealand, including investments in forestry, agriculture and horticulture, and numerous listed and unlisted entities.
In the past year, the Fund had expanded its rural land portfolio, increased its investment in locally managed funds that provide growth capital to New Zealand businesses, and continued its involvement in various land development initiatives that will provide platforms for housing and social infrastructure.
Source: Consumer NZ
Strong returns and fewer issues helped lift sentiment, even with some investors disengaged, although that may be about to change.
“Consumer NZ’s People’s Choice award recognises products and services whose customers are highly satisfied,” says Consumer chief executive Jon Duffy.
Results from the nationally representative annual KiwiSaver satisfaction survey highlight the strengths and weaknesses of different retirement savings scheme providers.
“KiwiSaver customer satisfaction has improved noticeably in 2025. The sector’s overall satisfaction rating climbed to 57%, up from 52% in 2024,” says Duffy.
However, the coming years will test both the trust in and communication from providers, with Trump’s tariffs serving as one example of the immediate pressures contributing to ongoing global economic uncertainty.
Returns still rule, but interest in ethical investment is growing
Performance remains the strongest driver of satisfaction in the KiwiSaver space. Good returns are behind low switching rates, but concerns persist in areas such as fee fairness, accessibility and transparency.
“Ethical investment continues to attract high interest. Many New Zealanders say they care about whether their funds are invested in undesirable sectors, but few know the details of where their money goes.
“Many rely on trust in their provider. Around 40–50% believe providers are making genuine efforts to invest ethically, while a similar proportion remains unsure,” says Duffy.
Top KiwiSaver providers of 2025
Customer satisfaction leaders this year were small outfits again, more agile providers, recognised for offering strong investment returns, communication, fair fees and ethical investment options.
Generate – 80%
Milford Funds – 75%
Simplicity – 69%
People’s Choice standouts
Generate earned the People’s Choice award this year, for ease of access and the features of its digital platform.
Milford Funds extended its winning streak to eight years, thanks to strong communication and customer confidence in investment returns.
Simplicity featured for the sixth year in a row, widely praised for fee fairness and ethical focus.
Bottom of the pack – 2025’s lowest-rated providers
Larger providers continue to lag, especially in terms of measures like communication, fee satisfaction and keeping customers informed. The biggest gripe tends to be fees.
ANZ – The largest provider continues to see a decline in satisfaction year on year, with consistently poor performance on transparency and fees.
Smart – Struggles with engagement and customer support.
Mercer – Lowest-ranked overall, with concerns about service quality and value for money continuing to dominate feedback.
The Treasury staff published an analytical note in September 2024, highlighting that as New Zealand’s population ages, life expectancy increases, and fertility rates decline, there is mounting pressure to ensure retirement savings can support individuals throughout their extended retirement years. This highlights the growing importance of KiwiSaver for the financial wellbeing of New Zealanders, both now and in the future.
For these reasons, it is important that consumers engage with their investments, rather than staying passively in default schemes, to improve their returns and build greater financial security for their retirement.
About Consumer
Consumer NZ is an independent, non-profit organisation dedicated to championing and empowering consumers in Aotearoa. Consumer NZ has a reputation for being fair, impartial and providing comprehensive consumer information and advice.
Source: ASB
ASB is on a hiring drive to recruit 80 additional home ownership specialists as it prepares for a surge in home loan applications. 80 percent of New Zealand homeowners are expected to refix their home loan within the next year, according to the Reserve Bank of New Zealand. While most of the 80 full time specialists have now been recruited, there are still some roles being advertised. The specialists will work across the bank’s in-house home ownership team and mortgage adviser-led business.
With many Kiwi having locked in short-term rates when interest rates were higher, Adam Boyd, Executive General Manager of Personal Banking says ASB is already seeing a change in customer behaviour, with people starting to fix for longer terms. “As a result of falling rates, we expect 55 percent of our home loan customers will have locked in rates under 6 percent by December this year, compared to 40 percent in March 2025.”
ASB is also simplifying its refinance process so that Kiwi coming to the end of their fixed rate term at another bank can receive a decision on moving to an ASB loan quicker and more easily. For its mortgage adviser-led business, ASB has introduced a system to improve the quality of applications being submitted so they can be processed more quickly.
ASB was named Canstar’s 2025 Bank of the Year – Home Loans Award winner. The award recognised that ASB delivers mortgage products that combine ‘the best features with the lowest costs, plus provides great customer service at every stage of the mortgage journey’. ASB also won Canstar’s Outstanding Value Awards in four categories – Home Lender, Investment Home Lender, Fixed Home Lender, and Investment Fixed Home Lender.
“We are seeing elevated demand for our home loans. By growing our teams and enhancing our refinance process, we’ll be able to turn around applications faster, both for our customers and the mortgage advisers we work with, while continuing to deliver great service,” says Boyd.
“We continue to offer competitive pricing, having dropped fixed rate mortgages six times this year. Our one-year fixed term rate is currently joint market leading, at 4.99 percent.”
Source: Secondary teachers question rationale for changes to relationship education guidelines
The ancient trees of Albert Park watched over the arrival of four newcomers in Victoria Street East last week – between Lorne Street and Albert Park.
Completion of the greening of this section of Victoria Street is close.
Four trees were crane-lifted from trucks, taking their positions in new street-side seating areas. The trees – pūriri, pōhutukawa, titoki and rewarewa – are another visual symbol of the transformation Aucklanders are seeing in midtown’s station neighbourhood.
Auckland Council’s midtown regeneration programme is ensuring the area will be ready when the City Rail Link (CRL) and Te Waihorotiu Station open.
Widened footpaths, a dedicated cycleway, fewer traffic lanes, new art, new trees and landscaped resting places along the redesigned sections of Victoria Street are seeing the street reflect its te reo Māori name.
Te Hā Noa is a name gifted by mana whenua. Te Hā is about life’s essence – to breathe – and Noa is about being free in the journey to experience your surroundings.
Mana whenua also guided the design of the new terraced tree pits, referencing the geology and forms of Tāmaki Makaurau.
Tree pits are designed to support the city’s stormwater drainage system. Surface rainwater disperses into the pits, where it irrigates the trees and filters water before it flows to the sea. They are also designed to keep the trees safe from heavy equipment and vehicles and allow them to flourish for years to come.
By the end of May people will see the area finished, with uplighting of trees and almost 600 new plants greening the gardens at street level.
There are 16 benefits of trees cited in Auckland Council’s Urban Ngahere (Forest) Strategy.
Here are four:
The cooling effect of trees, as a result of evapo-transpiration, reduces the urban heat island effectand enhances resilience to an increasing number of hot days (>25°C), one of the projected impacts of climate change. In simple terms, it’s a process where a plant cools itself by sweating water vapour through the pores in its leaves, lowering the temperature of the air.
Trees reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere through sequestering carbon in new growth. One tonne of carbon stored in wood is equivalent to removing 3.67 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere.
Trees improve air quality by removing air pollutants. A 2006 study estimated that Auckland’s urban trees remove 1320 tonnes of particulates, 1230 tonnes of nitrogen dioxide and 1990 tonnes of ozone.
Studies have shown that trees intercept around 15% of the rain that falls on their canopy, depending on a tree’s species and architecture.
In time, Te Hā Noa will form a green link across the city, linking two much-loved city parks – Rangipuke / Albert Park and Waikōkota / Victoria Park.
Read more about the completion of the first section of Victoria Street – between Elliott Street and Queen Street at OurAuckland.
Source: Secondary teachers question rationale for changes to relationship education guidelines
Auckland Council has appointed Rukumoana Schaafhausen as director of Watercare Services Limited (Watercare).
Cr Maurice Williamson chaired the selection panel and welcomes Rukumoana to the Watercare board.
“Ruku brings a wealth of experience of relevant sectors and will bring an essential Māori perspective to the governance of Watercare. She was the stand-out candidate in a highly impressive field. She will be an exceptional asset to the governance of Watercare Services ensuring that the organisation continues to deliver, and deliver well for Auckland,” says Cr Williamson.
The appointment was approved by the Performance and Appointments Committee on 29 April 2025. The committee is responsible for all appointments to the boards of council-controlled organisations, in accordance with the council’s Appointment and Remuneration Policy for Board Members and the Local Government Act.
About Rukumoana Schaafhausen
Rukumoana Schaafhausen is trained commercial and property solicitor who has more than 20 years of board room experience leading iwi organisations, utilities (energy and water), banking, investments and property development.
Her current roles include the boards of Contact Energy, Kiwi Group Capital, Alvarium Limited and Tainui Group Holdings.
Source: It’s time to fix the secondary teacher shortage
Today, Green Party MP Steve Abel has added a new Member’s Bill to the biscuit tin to ensure any product sold in New Zealand meets New Zealand’s animal welfare standards, even if it’s produced overseas.
“We shouldn’t allow on our supermarket shelves what we wouldn’t allow on our farms,” says Green Party Agriculture and Animal Welfare spokesperson, Steve Abel.
“This is about fairness for animals and for farmers.
“We’re proud of our animal welfare laws here in New Zealand, but right now those laws have a glaring loophole.
“Currently, products which come from animals who have been kept or slaughtered in conditions which would be illegal here, like in sow stalls or battery cages, are still able to be imported and sold in our supermarkets.
“New Zealanders don’t want to see our welfare values undermined by a loophole that allows cruelty to enter through the back door.
“My Bill will ensure that imported products meet the same basic standards we expect on our own farms.
“We can set a global standard that says robust animal welfare doesn’t stop at our borders.
“New Zealanders have been clear that they don’t want animals to suffer here or overseas. A recent poll showed that 83% of New Zealanders want the Government to act to align import standards with domestic laws.
“I will be working across the House to turn this Bill into law.
“If it’s too cruel to produce here, it should be too cruel to sell here,” says Steve Abel.