Housing investors may assume the most significant opportunities are found in big cities, but that isn’t the case. Over the past ten years, the largest capital gains have occurred in small-town New Zealand. Realestate.co.nz has released new data showing the change in asking prices for areas around New Zealand since 2012. Kawerau led the table, […]

The upgraded New Zealand – China Free Trade Agreement enters into force on Thursday the 7th of April. The FTA Upgrade delivers improved access for New Zealand industries, including the wood and dairy sectors: tariff-free entry for about 99% of New Zealand’s nearly NZ$3b wood and paper trade to China, and all New Zealand dairy […]

Economy up 3 percent in the final quarter of 2021 – Stats NZ The economy rebounded at the end of last year as consumer spending picked up after Covid lockdowns were eased. Stats NZ data showed gross domestic product (GDP) rose a seasonally adjusted 3.0 percent in the three months ended December, slightly below expectations, […]

The Port of Napier, already one of New Zealand’s busiest container ports is scheduled to receive over 40 ships over the next two weeks. The Port is currently undergoing an expansion which will see increased birthing capacity. The Port is a major contributor to the Hawke’s Bay economy and a significant employer. Hawke’s Bay is […]

The Government has made financial support available for businesses and organisations affected by the Omicron outbreak. Small Business Cashflow Scheme On 21 March the Small Business Cashflow Scheme loan amount will increase to $20,000 (from $10,000), plus $1,800 per full-time equivalent employee. A top-up loan will also be available for businesses and organisations that currently […]

You can apply for support if your employees need to self-isolate, as long as you meet the criteria and agree to meet your obligations. The support payments you can apply for are to contribute to the costs of the wages or salaries of your employees. You can also apply if you are self-employed. Your employees […]

Senior defense officials of South Korea and New Zealand held talks in Seoul on Monday to discuss bilateral cooperation in the arms industry, security and other areas. During the meeting, Vice Defense Minister Park Jae-min met counterpart Andrew Bridgman and discussed regional security issues, along with ways to bolster cooperation in the defense sector, the […]

The Embassy of Japan, in cooperation with the Japan Foundation, are very pleased to announce that the Japan Foundation’s Japanese Film Festival Online will be back in 2022 and accessible to people all over New Zealand for FREE. A selection of 19 different films, from Kurosawa Akira classics through to new releases from 2021 in […]

Hicks Bay 16-year-old Liam Henderson has been offered a $400,000 rugby scholarship at Yamanashi Gakuin high school in Japan. Liam’s mum Jade Henderson said Liam started playing ripper rugby at age 5, when she was questioned about his age. “He was quite big for his age, so we had to show his birth certificate,” she […]

As cases of a new coronavirus variant are confirmed around the world, Japan announced that it will suspend entry of all foreign visitors, joining an increasing number of countries that are tightening their borders as fear spreads of yet another extension of pandemic suffering. Japan, which has yet to detect any cases of the recently […]

This article written for the news organization ‘TheConversation’ and is based on a presentation given at a Sanctuaries of New Zealand workshop earlier this year on the theme of iwi and conservation. As world leaders continue negotiations at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, several agreements reached so far have acknowledged the connection between climate […]

The Maori Party has launched a petition to change the official name of New Zealand to Aotearoa. “It’s well past time that te reo Māori was restored to its rightful place as the first and official language of this country. We are a Polynesian country, we are Aotearoa,” Māori Party co-leaders Rawiri Waititi said at […]

Auckland Lantern Festival is being celebrated online this year after the physical version was cancelled due to New Zealand’s move to the red traffic light setting. The online programme, to celebrate the Chinese Year of the Tiger, is being launched today, which also happens to be Chinese New Year. The festival makes its online debut […]

Many have heard of Chinese New Year, but this is only part of an umbrella of Lunar New Year festivities celebrated by several East Asian and Southeast Asian communities across the country. Lunar New Year marks the beginning of the lunar calendar and this year, it falls on February 1. Tết Nguyên Đán, is the […]

After more than two years, New Zealand will reopen its borders to Australians starting April 12 and international tourists from visa-waiver countries from May 1. The move is part of efforts to accelerate economic recovery, according to a statement from Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Arrivals from Australia will be able to enter without having to […]

Ōpōtiki District Council is backing calls from iwi leaders to restrict movement into the region to help keep Covid-19 from spreading into the rohe. This comes after a confirmed case of Covid-19 was announced by the Ministry of Health today. Ōpōtiki councillor Louis Rapihana is also a member of the iwi response unit for Te […]

Queenstown Lakes and Central Otago District Councils join nine other participants in the ‘Welcoming Communities programme” The programme provides a framework for councils to become more welcoming to migrants. The programme is run by Immigration New Zealand. The current members of the programme are: Tauranga City Council Western Bay of Plenty District Council Palmerston North […]

The Migrant Perceptions Survey for 2021 is now available. The survey aims to understand how Asian migrants cope in New Zealand and maps what communities do and don’t do well to support their migrants. This year’s survey received around 14,000 responses Overall, 2021 has been challenging for everyone, especially our migrant communities. The survey, which […]