Hawke’s Bay is one of Aotearoa’s premier wine spots, drawing in tourists from across the country and around the world. But the region has recently been making a name for itself because of its craft beer offerings, with several taprooms opening just in time for summer. RNZ explored three local breweries to see what the fuss […]

According to the latest real estate data on Friday, the lack of properties for sale is putting pressure on New Zealand house prices and speeding up home sales, leading to record median house price for the fourth month in a row. Median house prices across New Zealand increased to a record median price of 749,000 […]

The New Zealand government confirmed it would deliver on its commitment to raise the minimum wage to 20 NZ dollars (14.26 U.S. dollars) per hour from April 1, 2021, Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Michael Wood said on Thursday. As the country recovers and rebuilds from COVID-19, the government is committed to supporting New Zealanders […]

Rising public anger about growing inequality is likely to force the imposition of a capital gains or wealth tax in the next few years, according to the chief economist of Westpac. In its latest monthly report the bank’s economists said the economy had done better than expected as it absorbed the shock of a global […]

Flood protection for Whakatāne’s town centre is about to get a much-needed upgrade to protect people and property against a one-in-100-year flood. Project Future Proof has been drawn up to upgrade stopbanks and floodwalls surrounding the central business district and address seepage issues. It was presented to Whakātane District councillors yesterday by staff from the […]

The government is launching an investigation into supermarket pricing to see if people are paying too much for groceries. Labour promised the investigation during the election campaign. It follows a similar study by the Commerce Commission which looked at the supply of petrol and diesel for land transport. It cost an estimated $2.5 million and […]

House prices have increased 19.8 percent year-on-year with the median now at $725,000. The Real Estate Institute’s (REINZ) House Price Index, which measures the changing value of property in the market also hit a new high, gaining 13.5 percent to 3248. Auckland’s median house price hit the $1 million mark for the first time, up […]

First it was roaming horses. Now Ōpōtiki has its own wandering emu, who on Sunday could be seen dodging cars, kids on bikes and local law enforcement. The unusual escapade did not last long as police swooped to the rescue, escorting the bird back to its Union St paddock in the small Eastern Bay of […]

Political parties are putting the issue of mental health strongly in focus. But there’s a wave of youth anxiety, mental distress and worries about Covid-19 heading this way – and the services already in place are being overwhelmed. Fears of failing at school, failing at life, and the big issue of climate change add to […]

The government has agreed to buy 1.5 million doses of a potential coronavirus vaccine from one of the leading contenders to produce one. The deal – which is the first of its kind for the government – is subject to the vaccine successfully completing all clinical trials and passing regulatory approvals. The amount would be […]