opportunities for economic

More than 40,000 new homes were consented in the year to June, pointing to a positive outlook for the sector, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “This is the first time since 2023 new home consents have exceeded that mark, and are up 19 per cent on the last year with strong increases across housing types – including stand-alone homes, townhouses and retirement villages,” Mr Penk says. “This is a significant turnaround for a sector that has faced some challenging conditions ove…

Just days after the President officially energized the Buchanan Electricity Distribution Network, on Thursday, July 23, 2026, residents are celebrating what many describe as a life-changing milestone—the return of reliable electricity to parts of the City for the first time in more than three decades. Homes, businesses, streets, schools, religious and public institutions that had long relied on generators and other costly alternatives are now benefiting from a stable power supply, bringing rene…

The Employment Leave Bill has passed its third and final reading, ushering in a long-awaited overhaul of the law that provides employees with employment leave entitlements, like annual and sick leave, Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden announced today. “This Bill delivers on the Government’s priority to replace the broken Holidays Act with a leave system which is simple and straightforward, so that employers have confidence in their calculations, and employees have confid…

The Government is modernising the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme, making it simpler and clearer to use while maintaining protections for workers and opportunities for New Zealanders. Immigration Minister Erica Stanford says the changes recognise the important role the RSE scheme plays, while responding to clear feedback that it has become too complex. "The RSE scheme has been a standout success for nearly 20 years, helping meet seasonal labour needs in our horticulture and viticultu…

The state saves on its own: austerity measures at state-owned companies The government decided on austerity measures affecting the boards and supervisory boards of state-owned companies. Planned changes regarding the number of members and their remuneration are submitted for social consultation. During the previous administration, it happened in the managements of state-owned companies that the holders of positions were not selected on the basis of competence and expertise, achieved results an…

A professional with more than two decades of experience in the institution, where he served as technical manager, the new head of ANDE explained that one of the priorities will be to continue expanding transmission lines and substations to improve the quality of electrical service, while advancing the gradual incorporation of new generation sources, especially solar energy projects. Likewise, he pointed out that another of President Peña's instructions is to adapt the electrical system to respo…