Housing affordability for first-time buyers reached a new low in October – the lowest point since interest.co.nz’s Home Loan Affordability Report began in 2004. The report measures three indicators of housing affordability for first-time buyers: the average price of a house in the lower quartile, interest rates on mortgages and the average salary of 25–29 […]

New Zealand’s technology sector saw rapid growth over the past year, with revenue and exports up 9 percent on the year earlier, a recent report indicates. The Technology Investment Network’s (TIN) annual report on the top 200 technology companies states that the sector grew nine times faster than the rest of the economy, with a […]

A music festival will bring 37 acts to Hawke’s Bay this summer. The Outfield Festival, now in its fourth year, is scheduled for Saturday, February 11, at the coastal town of Te Awanga. Artists playing in the festival include the drum and bass musicians Dillinja and Kasra, from the UK, the Indie pop-rock band Vacations, […]

Masks will again be mandatory on cruise ships in New Zealand and Australia, but only if they are owned by Carnival Corporation. Carnival Cruises reintroduced a mask mandate for all passengers in response to Australia’s fourth Covid-19 wave. People will be required to wear masks while indoors during the cruises, in both Australian and New […]

The first refugees to come to New Zealand after spending years in offshore Australian detention camps have arrived in the country. The group of six refugees landed in Auckland on Tuesday. A spokesperson for Immigration Minister Michael Wood told Stuff News the Australian and New Zealand Governments were continuing to work together “to resettle 150 […]

Tauranga’s population is growing, while many other cities – including Rotorua – are experiencing population loss, new data reveals. Data released by Statistics NZ shows that Tauranga had the highest population growth of all urban centres in New Zealand. Te Ngira (Institute for Population Research) senior researcher Shefali Pawar said this reflected a nationwide trend […]

Hundreds of poisonous ‘jellyfish’ have washed up on Bay of Plenty beaches after bad weather. Reports of the blue creatures have come from Mount Maunganui, Pāpāmoa, Pukehina and Whakatāne. Chris Battershill, professor of Coastal Science at the University of Waikato, said the jellyfish-like creatures were known as Portuguese man o’ war, or bluebottle, jellyfish. However, […]

Sir Rod Stewart is set to perform his last-ever New Zealand show at the Mission Estate Winery in Hawke’s Bay. Stewart, 77, will first perform at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin on April 5 2023, before heading north to Napier to finish his New Zealand tour on April 8. Stewart has played at the Mission […]

Property managers will soon need to be registered, trained, and licensed under new rules released by the government. The public will also be consulted on new rules regarding methamphetamine residue levels and if tenancies can be terminated if a property is determined to be unsafe. Housing Minister Megan Woods announced the new rules on Tuesday. […]

A Wellington bus company is recruiting students amid a shortage of bus drivers. Tranzurban is short by almost 40 drivers, leading to reduced services and cancelled routes. This prompted the company to target university students. One such recruit is Ethan Hakopa, 23, who began driving buses a year ago while he finished his degree. He […]